Group says Wyoming should demand outcomes when it gives economic development incentives

An organization called Good Jobs First says Wyoming should play harder-to-get when businesses apply for state funding and tax incentives. Of the states requiring job-creation results from benefiting businesses, Good jobs first ranks Wyoming 49th. Dan Neal of the Equality State Policy center says Wyoming is being too loose with its purse strings without demanding a return in new jobs.  He says while Wyoming looks at ways to diversify its economy through incentives…it is not unreasonable to require a certain number of good paying jobs to be created.

Neal:   These efforts are all well-intentioned, but there’s no reason to just give the money away and say, ‘Gee, we really hope you’ll come here.

Neal says other states have done this successfully.  He would especially like the state to study the benefits of tax incentives.