In previous posts I’ve outlined my current research (mostly with Eddy Maleksy of Duke) on the politics of tax incentives.  As you can probably tell from the tone of this post and previous posts, I’m not a fan of these incentives.  I think they are wasteful and not very effective in attracting investment.

Below is a list of some incentive announcements from this week in the United States.  For some of them I do some very simple “job accounting” on the cost per job.  This isn’t the best way to analyze the cost-benefit of incentives, but hey, this is a blog post.  This should be the start of a discussion, not a real analysis.

1.  More details on the ongoing “border war” between Kansas and Missouri.  Companies have been enticed by incentives to moved a few miles back and forth between KC, Kansas and KC, Missouri.

2.  AMC crime show set in Detroit pilot gets $1.3 million to film in Detroit.

3.  Durham city council approves $5.7 million incentive for a luxury hotel.  The claims of 200 construction jobs and 150 hotel staff jobs are difficult to evaluate without details on status (full time or part time) and pay.  But this is a pretty high cost per job.

4.  Walgreens gets $47 million in incentives to keep HQ in Chicago.  Part of “Investment Illinois Initative”

5.  “Project Happy Corn” gets $2.3 million for 55 new jobs (over $40k per job).  There has to be a good joke here based on the name.  I got nothing.

6.  Here is list of formal state investment incentive programs.