The National Freedom of Information Coalition and the Brechner Center for Freedom of Information are pleased to announce the publication of NFOIC’s latest research paper, “Invisible Incentives: How Secrecy Impedes Evaluation and Accountability of Economic Development Subsidies.” Secrecy in economic development spending remains a big challenge for journalists and the public at every level of…
Tag: Economic Development
Why There’s Little Sunshine On Many Economic Development Deals In Florida — And Beyond
As the coronavirus has swept the country, forcing state and local governments to adjust to a new way of doing business, the public’s ability to keep track of government activities has not been easy. Video meetings are often the best governments can offer, and that has put new limits on public participation. But when it…
Why haven’t a majority of Amazon HQ2 finalists released their proposals?
Ecommerce leader Amazon says it will announce its second headquarters by the end of the year. With less than three months to go, the big reveal could come any day now. As 2018 enters its final quarter, only eight of the 20 finalist cities have released their proposals publicly, and of those, three were heavily…
Cities’ secretive offers for Amazon’s HQ2 are raising concerns for many city leaders
Jared Evans, a member of the Indianapolis City-County Council, is proud that the city is among 20 finalists for one of the most coveted prizes in the country: the planned second headquarters of Amazon. He does, however, have one small question: What financial incentives did his city dangle in front of Amazon? “What have I…
Advocates: Bill could shield too much from Georgia open records law
A bill that passed the state Senate and is barreling toward passage in the House would expand an exemption to the state’s public records law in the name of economic development, but open government advocates fear the bill could be used to justify secrecy in far more than recruiting companies.
The bill, SB 323, would allow any state agency to conceal documents about economic development projects involving business expansions of $25 million in investment or 50 jobs. After a deal is signed or negotiations terminated, the records would become public.
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TVA rejects News Sentinel’s FOIA request
It’s secret, and it’s going to stay that way. That’s the bottom line in TVA’s rejection of the News Sentinel’s appeal of a Freedom of Information Act request for information TVA has repeatedly denied.
If the newspaper wants to continue its quest to learn the TVA incentives given to a Clinton, Tenn. industry in expansion mode, it will have to go to court.
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Corporate Incentives: Website Ranks States Transparency
All but four states now post at least partial information online showing which companies are receiving economic development subsidies. But the quality and depth of that disclosure varies widely, both among and within states. Three-fourths of major state development programs still fail to disclose actual jobs created or workers trained, and only one in eleven discloses wages actually paid. The best disclosure practices are found in Illinois and Michigan, but even their scores would be near-failing as report card grades.
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