Article by: OLIVIA LAVECCHIA Updated: April 29, 2015 – 5:34 PM
The company is good at getting money out of government, but it doesn’t really need the help. And local economies don’t really need the kind of development it delivers.
The news that Amazon wants to expand its footprint in Minnesota — but only if it wins significant public subsidies — should put both taxpayers and public officials on high alert.
Amazon is seeking about $5 million in tax breaks to build a new distribution center in Shakopee, not including the costs of significant upgrades to infrastructure and roads. In announcing the project, Shakopee Mayor Brad Tabke heralded the news as “economic development.”
If economic development means quality new jobs and a stronger economy, then the research suggests that subsidizing Amazon’s warehouse would result in just the opposite.
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