Here's our funding package proposal for @royals.com and @chiefs.bsky.social stadiums:

Jeff Bezos loves free markets, but does he love them enough to end Amazon’s addiction to corporate welfare?

For years, independent experts at some of the nation's most prominent universities and research institutions have been digging into the real-world results of state and municipal governments' economic development programs to find out what works - and what doesn't - to encourage growth & prosperity:

Charlotte's $650 million in subsidized renovations for privately owned Bank of America Stadium wins our Worst Economic Development Deal of the Year Award for 2024. Cost, poor transparency, bad ROI arguments and a partner's past history all played a role. economicaccountability.org/2024/12/30/c...

"Job creation" comes at a cost:

In 2022, New York City reported losing $3.867 billion in revenues to corporate tax abatements.

That was enough money to fund the FY2023 budgets of the Fire Department of New York ($2.29B) and NYC Department of Transportation ($1.44B), combined.

Hollywood sequels suck, especially this one. Like Jason from a grave, Palpatine from a clone tank or Mickey Rourke from rehab, film subsidies are making an attempted comeback in Michigan thanks to legislation from @senpolehanki.bsky.social, @jeremymoss.bsky.social & @erikageiss.bsky.social. #mileg

Since 2018, we've scoured the country to identify the Worst Economic Development Deal of the Year. Nominations are open for this year's award, tell us below what 2024 boondoggle you think should win this coveted(?) honor and why.

Learn more: economicaccountability.org/worstdealoft...

We're facing off against the combined power of big business and big government. We've got facts and data on our side, but we need your support as well. economicaccountability.org/support/

Somehow, our Worst Economic Development Deal of the Year Award winner for 2022 has gotten much worse in 2024. apnews.com/article/geor...

"John Mozena, president of the Center for Economic Accountability, said that data centers are some of the 'dumbest things a state can subsidize.'” www.michigancapitolconfidential.com/news/legisla...

Film offices exist to subsidize films, not protect the public interest. Georgia audits uncovered that its state film office not only reimbursed producers for expenses like parking tickets and "lost petty cash," but also counted workers at multiplex concession stands as "film industry jobs."

With the news that Rays owner Stuart Sternberg is threatening to relocate his team if the people of St. Petersburg don’t prioritize his new stadium over hurricane recovery, a reminder that it’s ALWAYS been a bad deal. www.tampabay.com/opinion/2024...

Our work to reform state and local economic development programs is grounded in research performed by university professors and other independent experts across the country. We’ve collected a sampling of those studies and reports on our website: economicaccountability.org/research-res...

On the Cato Daily Podcast, CEA president @johnmoz.bsky.social and Cato's Stephen Slivinski dug into the way state and local economic development programs are more about Election Day "job creation" for the politicians who run them than economic factors in our communities. www.cato.org/multimedia/c...

Let's hear it for Nashville voters rewarding stadium subsidy skeptics and punishing corporate welfare cheerleaders in yesterday's municipal elections. As always:

CEA President @johnmoz.bsky.social is the guest on the Let People Prosper Podcast with former OMB chief economist and state fiscal policy expert Dr. Vance Ginn, discussing how "economic development" shares many of the same fundamental flaws that doom other central economic planning models.

And yes, if you want one of those "PAY FOR YOUR OWN DAMN STADIUM" stickers we'll happily send you some for free, they're available in a variety of colors that you may find relevant in cities like, say, Charlotte or Las Vegas/Oakland or Chicago or Washington, DC or Buffalo or Albuquerque or...

Let's get this out of the way right out of the gate in our first Bluesky post: Economic development subsidies don't exist to create jobs. Rather, they exist to make voters believe that politicians are responsible for creating jobs.