Press Releases

10/30/2014

GJF’s Analysis of GASB’s Proposed Standard for Tax Abatement Disclosures

Good Jobs First Releases Analysis of GASB’s Proposed Standard for Tax Abatement Disclosures

Washington, DC, October 31, 2014—Good Jobs First today issued its analysis of the Governmental Accounting Standards Board’s (GASB) proposed new accounting standard for economic development tax subsidies. Using the umbrella term “tax abatements,” for property, income, sales and other tax expenditures, GASB’s proposed new standard will for the first time require state and local governments to report how much revenue they lose to economic development subsidies.

Good Jobs First’s overview page about GASB and the “Exposure Draft” is at www.goodjobsfirst.org/gasb.  That page also links to a detailed summary and critique of the proposed standard at http://www.goodjobsfirst.org/gasb_analysis .

09/16/2014

California Bans a Tax-Break Commission

Good Jobs First Congratulates California for First-Ever Ban of Consultant Commissions on Job Subsidies

Washington, DC, September 17, 2014 – Good Jobs First today congratulated the State of California Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (“GO-Biz”) for the first-ever effective ban in the United States of consultants receiving percentage commissions on a major economic development tax-credit program. It also criticized the prominent tax-consulting firm led by G. Brint Ryan of Texas for seeking to overturn the ban.

09/11/2014

Nevada (for Tesla): Birthplace of the Tax Credit-Capture Zone

September 12, 2014

Greg LeRoy, executive director of Good Jobs First, today released the following statement about Nevada legislation for the Tesla “gigafactory” project.

“We are struck by several aspects of this massive subsidy package, which we price at $1.287 billion, or the 12th largest in U.S. history.

“Despite months of rhetoric about 6,000 jobs, the fine print actually does not require Tesla Motors itself to create any specific number of jobs in order to be eligible for the tax credits and abatements. Apparently, the bulk of hiring could be at suppliers.

09/03/2014

Tesla, We Have Questions

For Immediate Release September 4, 2014

Bob Fulkerson of the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada and Greg LeRoy of Good Jobs First issued the following statement regarding reports that Tesla plans to announce it has chosen Nevada for its “gigafactory,” or massive electric-car battery factory.

This is a huge event in Nevada history. If the taxpayer subsidy package for the facility is $500 million or more, as Tesla has demanded, it would be the biggest subsidy package in Nevada history by a factor of more than five. (There is only one recorded eight-figure deal in Nevada history and none over $89 million.)

08/24/2014

An Open Letter to Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, and Texas Officials About Tesla Motors

For Immediate Release August 25, 2014

An Open Letter to Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, and Texas Officials About Tesla Motors

There is no question that state officials should place a high priority on boosting employment and fostering economy opportunity. But recently our states have been pitted into a race to the bottom from which no real winner may emerge. Tesla Motors’ proposed “Gigafactory” – undoubtedly a valuable source of economic growth for its eventual home state – has been offered to you in an unusual public auction, with the opening bid set at $500 million in subsidies. Since Tesla has chosen to make the process public, we write as unified voices from Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, and Texas to argue that our states have more to gain from cooperation than from competition.