Transparency, accountability and market-based reform of state & local economic development programs across America. Pay for your own damn stadium.
Joined June 2018
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Your state government’s economic development strategy relies on the argument that politicians, bureaucrats and lobbyists are getting together behind closed doors to decide which corporations get millions or even billions of tax dollars, but they’re doing that for YOUR benefit.
Center for Economic Accountability retweeted
Incredibly pleased that Arkansas' Issue 3 proposed economic development amendment narrowly (and unexpectedly) lost yesterday, in a win for good public policy and loss for corporate welfare. Proud & honored to have played a small role in educating voters about the issues at stake.
A proposed economic development constitutional amendment in Arkansas has a number of fundamental flaws that create very serious risks for taxpayers and communities. My analysis for @ReasonFdn:
reason.org/commentary/arkans…
It’s the day after Halloween, which is a good time to remind everyone that the average @SpiritHalloween store is open for business more days a year than an @MLB team is in their subsidized stadium.
Center for Economic Accountability retweeted
"No new tax doesn't mean no taxpayer cost." @VanceGinn on the new Chiefs STAR bond district and why Kansas should lower costs for everyone instead of picking winners.
kansaspolicy.org/kansas-shou…
Center for Economic Accountability retweeted
Arkansas’ proposed economic development amendment would give unelected boards broad powers over taxes and taxpayer dollars. @johnmoz explains why expanding corporate subsidies would put Arkansas taxpayers at risk.
buff.ly/DQ6MlF9
Center for Economic Accountability retweeted
A proposed economic development constitutional amendment in Arkansas has a number of fundamental flaws that create very serious risks for taxpayers and communities. My analysis for @ReasonFdn:
reason.org/commentary/arkans…
It’s October, the month of both baseball playoffs and “spooky season,” which makes it the perfect time to remind everyone that subsidized @MLB team stadiums are only open for business about as many days a year as your average pop-up @SpiritHalloween store. 🎃⚾️🏟️👻💰
Center for Economic Accountability retweeted
Anyone who advocates giving $850 million in taxpayer money to a billionaire for the purpose of building an new stadium lacks the moral high ground to comment on "fair share" tax initiatives.
Center for Economic Accountability retweeted
Everyone in Cook County will have to pay more in property taxes so a corporation will get a subsidy.
It’s whack-a-mole economics. Lower the taxes for one business, raise them on residents and other businesses. Never acknowledge the real problem a government spending.
We need a property tax cap.
Efforts to transform long vacant land along the north branch of the Chicago River between Bucktown and Lincoln Park into a new neighborhood advanced Tuesday with a vote to use $201.6 million from the area’s TIF districts to subsidize the project.
to.wttw.com/4y6F5PC
Center for Economic Accountability retweeted
If 20 years of public investment in downtown is as successful and transformative as supporters claim, why does downtown still require subsidies?
Either it's working or it isn't, it can't be both. – at Kansas City, MO
Ladies and gentlemen, here is a @MO_Independent piece even @RGreggKeller will like:
missouriindependent.com/2026…
Center for Economic Accountability retweeted
Or, hear me out, we could simply STOP DOING DUMB CORPORATE WELFARE DEALS even for non-criminals.
Center for Economic Accountability retweeted
"They came to the desert, a land of milk and money, a land of milk and government subsidizing."
@AccountableEcon
nevadacurrent.com/2026/09/03…
Center for Economic Accountability retweeted
If data centers (or any other business) receive public support, then the public should have as much access to the details of the deal as any Wall Street firm, hedge fund, venture capitalist or other ‘investor.’
Unlike other tax breaks, tech giants can shroud special Michigan data center tax incentives in secrecy
New reporting from @DNBethLeBlanc on a little-known provision in a state law written by Democrats that will keep the true cost of data center tax breaks a state secret.
detroitnews.com/story/news/p…
Center for Economic Accountability retweeted
"(Corporate welfare programs) are more correctly assessed using the tools of political science than of economics. When you do that, they all start making sense. They make no economic sense because they're not economic tools, they're political tools."
- @johnmoz
Center for Economic Accountability retweeted
In Lansing today to testify to @truestevecarra’s House Oversight subcommittee on the intersection of energy policy, economic development policy and electric utility lobbying in Michigan.
Michigan’s Attorney General has reached her limit with the state’s economic development corruption issues.
Center for Economic Accountability retweeted
And the funding mechanism approved for $510 million of it is only defined as “legally available sources,” which is LITERALLY the least the KC City Council can do in terms of fiscal planning.
It's entirely possible that Kansas City will approve its $1B+ share of an overall $1.5B+ Royals stadium subsidy just three days after the proposal was released, which would be in the running for shortest public discussion period ever for a stadium deal. fieldofschemes.com/2026/08/1…
Voters should always have the final say on stadium subsidies because politicians have proven they can’t be trusted to make decisions based on what’s best for the community, rather than themselves.
Great to have @Richard_Florida confirm what we've said for years: “Everyone knows incentives are costly, wasteful, and ineffective — everyone knows the game is rigged — and yet they continue to escalate, with bidding wars between cities and states growing ever larger over time.”
My latest on "The Paradox of Economic Development" in a special issue of Economic Development Quarterly editted by @TimBartik: journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.…
Of course, Dr. Florida has been a vocal critic of economic development subsidy programs for years. Back in 2012, he and his team demonstrated the simple fact that states that hand out lots of incentives don't end up any better off than states that don't. bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
