I recently received a fundraising letter from the Goldwater Institute.  They are raising money for their new Center for Constitutional Litigation headed by former Institute for Justice Vice President Clint Bolick.  The letter shows just how far the corporate “incentives” racket has deteriorated in Arizona. 

 

Scottsdale offers a car dealer $7.5 million to build a dealership on the Scottsdale side of Scottsdale Road. Phoenix then offers $12.7 million to secure a dealership on its side.

Glendale doles out $16 million to Cabela?s outdoor sporting store, while Chandler gives away $42 million to developers of Chandler Fashion Square. 

Not to be outdone, Phoenix offers $100 million to a Chicago developer to subsidize a shopping center called CityNorth.

You read that right $100,000,000.00

The letter goes on to quote the Arizona Constitution:

Neither the state, nor any county, city, town, municipality?shall ever?make any donation or grant, by subsidy or otherwise, to any individual, association or corporation.?

Goldwater’s CCL is using this provision in its suit against the CityNorth giveaway.  I am told that North Carolina has a similar provision in its constitution. It is too bad that we cannot get the courts to enforce the language of this provision.  I will keep you posted on the Arizona court case.