In The American Conservative, CEA President John C. Mozena warns that the real "dark money" in politics is hiding right in front of us, in the form of politically motivated economic development subsidies that dwarf anything spent by campaigns, PACs or parties: Right now, state and local politicians running for reelection across America are living … Continue reading The American Conservative column: Want To Clean Up Money In Politics? Start With Corporate Welfare
Op-ed in the Las Vegas Review-Journal: 2020 is no time for subsidies in Nevada
Nevada's economy has been hammered by the COVID-19 pandemic, which virtually eliminated tourism and gaming revenues. Despite the fiscal crisis faced by the state, its elected officials recently announced a $25 million subsidy for a Google data center. The CEA's John Mozena challenged this decision in the Las Vegas Review-Journal: It doesn’t make sense for … Continue reading Op-ed in the Las Vegas Review-Journal: 2020 is no time for subsidies in Nevada
Op-ed in the Providence Journal: Subsidizing a soccer stadium would be a bad bet for Pawtucket
The "economic impact" math just doesn't add up to justify subsidies for a proposed minor-league soccer stadium in Pawtucket, R.I. As CEA President John Mozena points out in the Providence Journal, stadiums just don't bring in enough people to make a big difference in local economies: Even in the best-case scenario where every one of … Continue reading Op-ed in the Providence Journal: Subsidizing a soccer stadium would be a bad bet for Pawtucket
Op-Ed in The Hill: Congress could use bailouts to solve the interstate subsidy war
As Congress reconvenes to discuss another potential round of COVID-19 relief, CEA President John C. Mozena and Mercatus Center Research Fellow Michael D. Farren are in The Hill, discussing their proposal that the federal government require states to end their targeted economic development subsidy programs as a condition of receiving any federal budget bailouts: Congress … Continue reading Op-Ed in The Hill: Congress could use bailouts to solve the interstate subsidy war
Crain’s Cleveland Business op-ed: Subsidy deals like Sherwin-Williams’ won’t grow Cleveland’s economy
Cleveland's politicians are proposing a package of incentives potentially worth $100 million for paint company Sherwin-Williams' new headquarters in the city. As the CEA's John Mozena writes in this week's Crain's Cleveland Business, this isn't good news for the other businesses that call Cleveland home -- or might want to, at some point in the … Continue reading Crain’s Cleveland Business op-ed: Subsidy deals like Sherwin-Williams’ won’t grow Cleveland’s economy