Relias Learning to add 450 jobs in Cary.  Well, that sounds like great news.  But, of course, it doesn’t take much digging to find the catch: $5.36 million in Job Development Investment Grants (JDIG) from the state plus an additional $50,000 from the town of Cary.  So maybe rather than “The company plans to invest $4.5 million at its Cary site..” the article ought actually to say “The company plans to pocket almost a million dollars of taxpayer money…”

Relias sounds like a strong, growing company.  I’m glad they’re adding jobs.  I just don’t buy that they need all this money from taxpayers to do it.  Three quarters of their workforce is already in Cary.  Did they really need millions from taxpayers in order to expand?

And then there’s this.

Relias clients include long-term care facilities, hospice facilities and home health care companies. Those who are trained work in the fields of senior care, behavioral health and developmental disabilities, such as autism.

Much of the training Relias provides is mandatory for the workers to maintain their professional credentials.

So not only are they benefiting from government largesse through JDIG, but they’re also offering a product that’s required by the government.  That’s got to help demand.

It sounds like a pretty sweet deal for Relias, and a pretty terrible one for taxpayers.