Corporate Welfare: Five Ways Out

THERE ARE SOLUTIONS TO THE CORPORATE WELFARE MESS--BUT WHO GOES FIRST?

What's a mayor to do? A major employer wants to expand or build anew. Rather than simply doing so, the corporation stirs up a bidding war to see which city and state will pony up the most cash, loans and tax breaks in the form of economic incentives. If you're the mayor and the facility means jobs and income for your town, do you play hardball and risk losing the plant and the jobs? Or do you give in and hand out tax money, only to face a never-ending string of similar demands from others?

Right now it's not much of...

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