— Economist Richard FloridaIn a broader sense, the Apple deal shows the shortcomings of all such corporate handouts, nationwide. They’re often negotiated in secret, as was the Iowa deal, then presented to taxpayers as faits accomplis — and often misleadingly. “Firms know where they want to be,” says economist David Swenson of Iowa State University. Bureau of Labor Statistics; David Swenson Despite a generous tax break for data centers, Iowa's employment in the sector has fallen. Microsoft and Google data centers preceded Apple to Iowa, Swenson observes.

Source: Los Angeles Times August 29, 2017 21:41 UTC