WHY TAXPAYERS DESERVE DETAILS – NOT VAGUE TALKING POINTS AND HIGHER TAXES On June 25th, the mayor of Columbia, Steve Benjamin, unveiled what’s being commonly called the “Bull Street Development Deal.” The…
WHY THE RUSH TO PUT FUTURE TAXPAYERS 120,000,000 MORE DOLLARS INTO DEBT? The news broke this week that Boeing plans to expand its existing North Charleston campus to include an…
HOW SOUTH CAROLINA FELL INTO GORDON TULLOCK’S “TRANSITIONAL GAINS TRAP” At a recent debate sponsored by the Policy Council on the merits of taxpayer-financed “incentives” – the headline for the…
Government-driven economic development is a secretive process in which politicians give away tax exemptions, subsidies, and other taxpayer-funded incentives to private companies. Politicians “invest” tax dollars without disclosing any meaningful…
After the headlines, after the press releases and fanfare, where do all these investments go? Some of them go south and take millions of tax dollars with them.
One of the final pieces of legislation that may pass the General Assembly this year is an omnibus economic development bill that provides an array of targeted credits and subsidies…
With the film industry clamoring for additional tax breaks, it is worth asking whether such targeted tax breaks actually work. As we’ve written before, targeted tax incentives do not result…
Are Retail Incentives Constitutional? A Review of the Sembler and Bass Pro Shops Incentives Legislation Are economic development incentives constitutional? If the state’s frequent reliance on such incentives to…
It goes without saying our political leaders should treat public tax dollars with the same care and consideration they would their own finances. This maxim has never been more necessary…
Imagine a business plan based on overly optimistic results, an underreporting of costs and a desire to conceal essential data from key stakeholders. If the result does not sound promising,…
The Bull Street Deal: Extreme Caution Advised
WHY TAXPAYERS DESERVE DETAILS – NOT VAGUE TALKING POINTS AND HIGHER TAXES On June 25th, the mayor of Columbia, Steve Benjamin, unveiled what’s being commonly called the “Bull Street Development Deal.” The…
Boeing Bond Deal Needs Explanation
WHY THE RUSH TO PUT FUTURE TAXPAYERS 120,000,000 MORE DOLLARS INTO DEBT? The news broke this week that Boeing plans to expand its existing North Charleston campus to include an…
It’s a Trap!
HOW SOUTH CAROLINA FELL INTO GORDON TULLOCK’S “TRANSITIONAL GAINS TRAP” At a recent debate sponsored by the Policy Council on the merits of taxpayer-financed “incentives” – the headline for the…
The ‘Incentives Game’ – what else are lawmakers giving away?
Here are just a few of the things legislators are doing right now in the name of ‘economic development.’
The Incentives game
Government-driven economic development is a secretive process in which politicians give away tax exemptions, subsidies, and other taxpayer-funded incentives to private companies. Politicians “invest” tax dollars without disclosing any meaningful…
Investment Fail: “Economic development” deals that flopped
After the headlines, after the press releases and fanfare, where do all these investments go? Some of them go south and take millions of tax dollars with them.
Economic Development Bill Rewards Special Interests Over Independent Businesses
One of the final pieces of legislation that may pass the General Assembly this year is an omnibus economic development bill that provides an array of targeted credits and subsidies…
Lawmakers’ Hollywood Dreams Hurting Taxpayers: The Case Against Film Incentives
With the film industry clamoring for additional tax breaks, it is worth asking whether such targeted tax breaks actually work. As we’ve written before, targeted tax incentives do not result…
A Review of the Sembler and Bass Pro Shops Incentives Legislation
Are Retail Incentives Constitutional? A Review of the Sembler and Bass Pro Shops Incentives Legislation Are economic development incentives constitutional? If the state’s frequent reliance on such incentives to…
Three Steps Toward Transparency: Protecting Taxpayer Investments in South Carolina’s Economy
It goes without saying our political leaders should treat public tax dollars with the same care and consideration they would their own finances. This maxim has never been more necessary…
Economic Incentives Could Cost Taxpayers for Years to Come
Imagine a business plan based on overly optimistic results, an underreporting of costs and a desire to conceal essential data from key stakeholders. If the result does not sound promising,…