Friday's Rant: Winners and Losers

I hate it when government picks winners and losers. When, Chet Culver and his minions, in all their inept wisdom decide what is good for our state. It's one thing to screw up state government, which they will inevitably do, but why screw up the state's economy while you're at it? It pisses me off.

Case in point: Microsoft. Where do I begin? Just last year, to our state government and the Democratic imbeciles running it, Microsoft was the great evil and the focus of a class-action lawsuit. They were going on and on how, to quote Ed Fallon, at this post on Blog for Iowa:

...each and every one of you who bought a computer during that thirteen-year period should consider it your civic responsibility to file this claim. You have until December 15 to do it. If Iowans don't claim the money approved in the settlement, it merely reverts to Microsoft, so please feel free to forward this information to others to encourage the broadest possible participation.

And their efforts were largely effective. Under terms of the settlement, Microsoft was required to pay up to $170,950,000 in cash payments to consumers.

Let's fast-forward to yesterday afternoon. All of Iowa's premier opportunists - Culver, Boswell, Grassley, etc. gathered around a podium to praise Microsoft for bringing 50 jobs to West Des Moines. Here's the Register article. Anyway, what did our state and local governments do to get these 50 jobs? Give away tens of millions of dollars in tax incentives to, make "Iowa competitive with other states." Millions upon millions upon millions of dollars given away so West Des Moines can have 50 more jobs...while our rural areas, rural infrastructure and small downs dry up and rot.

Friends and neighbors, we here at the Iowa Blog Cabin try and not get too political, but this is insanity. I'm glad that this will bring economic development to our state, however, why can't our state, ahem, "leaders" create a competitive landscape throughout our state that makes the entire state competitive, not just the areas and industries that the government chooses is "worthy?" How many millions of our state tax dollars and "incentives" - from all over the state - are going to support 50 new jobs in WDM?

It's a misuse of tax dollars for our state government to choose who wins and loses this way. Our state leaders should create a tax environment, a regulatory environment and focus our priorities in a way that makes our entire state competitive. After all, they've show this works when they focus on one company, in one city, with one incentive package. Okay, I'm done.

Breathe in, breathe out...this week's rant is over.