Waiting for Their Handout

David Nicklaus reports in the St. Louis Post Dispatch the angst that some companies have about setting up shop in Missouri after Matt Blunt vetoed HB 327:

A lot of jobs are at stake — (Steve) Johnson says a couple of prospects are in
the 1,000-employee range — and Missouri isn’t exactly putting its best
foot forward. "If they called and said we have to make the final choice
tomorrow, then we’re in trouble," Johnson said. "They will not decide
on something based on uncertainty."

Businesses like Advantage Capital are now said to be looking in other places, like Mississippi, because Missouri does not have any incentives in place to match federal tax credits and other credits for businesses to move here. Now, of course, I do not like to see jobs redirected elsewhere, but rather than reauthorizing tax credits every two years there should be a push for broad-based reform that will attract all kinds of businesses. Maybe that should be the major discussion in the next session, rather than picking tax credit recipients.