Business & Job Creation
Businesses need a friendly and fair business environment so they can compete, innovate, and create jobs. We’re keeping politicians from playing favorites by offering special deals and tax breaks to the favored few.
Executive Summary
Arizona cities are at war with each other in a high-stakes bid to lure such retailers as Cabelas, Cadillac, and Costco. To win the corporate spoils, cities offer incentive packages that include everything from land grants to a share of sales tax revenue. In this bidding game, however, the only winners are the corporations. Cities and taxpayers lose money, and existing businesses face unfair competition.
Executive Summary
From 1990 to 2000 Arizona's population increased by 1.5 million residents, making it the second fastest-growing state in the nation. Of the state's 5 million inhabitants, 3.3 million, or 65 percent, came from another state or from outside the United States. Despite this overwhelming evidence that Arizona is a desirable place to live and work, the state's growth has generated a great deal of worry.
Phoenix -- While health insurance costs continue to rise nationwide, policymakers can do more to bring more affordable health insurance to Arizona, according to a new Goldwater Institute report released today.
Phoenix -- Arizona cities are at war. They are at war with each other over retailers and car dealerships. In order to lure these businesses into their city limits, cities offer incentive packages that include everything from free land to a share of sales tax revenue. From Costco to Cadillac to Cabelas, corporations are winning big on the taxpayer dime and existing local businesses face unfair competition.
PHOENIX-President George W. Bush, who is in Arizona promoting policy initiatives aimed at improving job growth, has received praise for a key unemployment insurance reform proposal from economist William B. Conerly, author of a new Goldwater Institute report to be released Monday, January 26.
PHOENIX-At a press conference for the release of a new Goldwater Institute report on burdensome licensing requirements and regulations, Institute for Justice Arizona Chapter staff attorney Tim Keller announced the filing of a lawsuit against the Arizona Board of Cosmetology. The Institute has filed its lawsuit on behalf of Essence Farmer, whose efforts to set up an African hairbraiding salon have been thwarted by the Board of Cosmetology's licensing rules.
The Arizona Supreme Court is being asked to void a requirement imposed on utilities to generate at least 15 percent of their power from renewable sources by 2025.
Legal papers filed by the Goldwater Institute contend that the Arizona Corporation Commission, which enacted the mandate, exceeded its constitutional authority. The lawsuit asks the high court to void not only the commission rules but also the surcharge already being paid by utility customers.
The Goldwater Institute is asking the state Supreme Court to strike down rules that require Arizona Public Service Co. to get a certain percent of electricity from renewable sources such as solar.
Arizona Corporation Commission rules requiring electric utilities it regulates to get a set percentage of their power from renewable sources face a court challenge.
A special-action lawsuit filed by the Phoenix-based Goldwater Institute alleges the commission exceeded its authority under the Arizona Constitution, intruded on the Legislature's policymaking role in state government and interfered with the utilities' relationships with their customers.