Fact Sheet on H 4478: The S.C. Economic Development Competitiveness Act of 2010
Sponsored by House Speaker Bobby Harrell and 108 other representatives, the Economic Development Competitiveness Act is the product of Speaker Harrell’s economic development working group. This 49-page...
View ArticleThe ‘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.’ Amazon tax breaks. The House killed the deal, but there’s another version in the Senate. The...
View ArticleWhat is the South Carolina Research Authority?
Downlad the .pdf version. That question was asked at a recent meeting of the House Ways & Means Committee – and not a single lawmaker had an answer. Here are 10 things you should know about our...
View ArticleStimulus Dollars Not Going to Teachers and Law Enforcement
Last session, legislative leaders argued South Carolina needed every dollar of the state’s $2.8 billion federal stimulus package to save jobs for teachers and law enforcement personnel. Faced with such...
View ArticleThe Matthew Lesko Approach to Economic Development
The federal government is trying to run the U.S. economy – and South Carolina is helping out by taking federal grants for “economic development.” Why? Because it’s free money from the government! Here...
View ArticleWays and Means Budget Largest in State History – Yet Again
The House is currently debating the budget recommended by the Ways and Means committee after months of hearings. With just over $535 million in “new” recurring revenue[1], lawmakers justify spending as...
View ArticleThe House Budget’s Five Worst Economic Development Provisos
Download the .pdf version here. The Runaway Closing Fund Next year, the state of South Carolina will receive around $25 million dollars from the National Mortgage Settlement, a joint federal-state...
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The Economic Development Pyramid
In 2008, legislative leaders and other state officials introduced this pyramid as the key to economic prosperity. We haven’t heard much about it in recent times. But in South Carolina state government,...
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How Much Does the Machine Really Cost?
WHAT IS THAT THING, AND WHY ARE WE PAYING SO MUCH FOR IT? Read Quantifying the Machine, the Policy Council’s report on the costs of economic development, here. For other material on state-driven...
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Senate Finance Budget: What to Keep an Eye On
LOTS OF PUBLIC MONEY, VERY LITTLE PUBLIC INPUT Budget debate will begin on the Senate floor today. The budget was passed out of committee May 3, and made publicly available May 8. The usual practice...
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