Economic Development [Mackinac Center]

Pure Fiction: State Tourism Cost-Benefit Analysis Ignores Costs

By Michael D. LaFaive, published on March 26, 2018

A Look At The State Budget for Business Subsidies

By James M. Hohman, published on March 16, 2018

What Michigan Government Lacks in Transparency

By James M. Hohman, published on March 15, 2018

Want Money For Roads? Take It from This Failing Program

By Michael D. LaFaive and Jarrett Skorup, published on March 9, 2018

State’s MBDP Job Creation Claims an Inconvenient Fiction

By Michael D. LaFaive, published on Feb. 21, 2018

Study: Michigan Business Development Program of Questionable Merit

Published on Feb. 20, 2018

What the Tax Reform Bill Means for Michigan

By Jarrett Skorup, published on Dec. 20, 2017

Taxpayers Shouldn’t Subsidize High Income Housing

By James M. Hohman, published on Nov. 27, 2017

Michigan Was Right to End Film Incentives

By Jarrett Skorup, published on Nov. 15, 2017

Why did the Governor Flip Flop on Corporate Welfare?

By Michael D. LaFaive, published on Nov. 14, 2017

The Business Climate Matters More Than Amazon

By James M. Hohman, published on Nov. 9, 2017

Taxpayers Deserve to Know Details of Business Subsidy Deals

By James M. Hohman, published on Oct. 5, 2017

This Just In … Longwoods Out

By Michael D. LaFaive, published on Oct. 2, 2017

Jobs Department’s Fake News: $10 Tax return for Every $1 in Subsidies

By Michael D. LaFaive and Wyatt Bush, published on Sept. 22, 2017

Post Labor Day Weekend Good Time for Tourism Talk

By Michael D. LaFaive, published on Sept. 6, 2017

New Subsidies Show Which Groups Are Important to Lansing Politicians

By James M. Hohman, published on Aug. 31, 2017

A response to Oxford Economics' Review

By Dr. Michael J. Hicks, published on Aug. 24, 2017

Give Foxconn Nothing

By Michael D. LaFaive, published on Aug. 21, 2017

Lansing Politicians Betray Their Stated Ideals

By Michael D. LaFaive, published on Aug. 18, 2017

Lansing Politicians Put Favored Businesses Ahead of Everyone Else

By James M. Hohman, published on Aug. 16, 2017

Targeted Business Subsidies vs. Broad Tax Relief

By James M. Hohman, published on July 31, 2017

The Allure of Corporate Welfare

By Joseph G. Lehman, published on July 24, 2017

‘Trough Truce’ on Display in Latest Debate on Corporate Welfare

By James M. Hohman, published on July 18, 2017

‘But For’ Can’t Be Proved: Corporate Welfare is a Waste

By Michael D. LaFaive and Wyatt Bush, published on July 10, 2017

New Corporate Welfare Proposal is Unfair

By Michael D. LaFaive, published on July 7, 2017

George Orwell and Humpty Dumpty Economic Policy

By John C. Mozena, published on June 14, 2017

Skorup Speaks on ‘Good Jobs’ Proposal Before Michigan House Committee

By Jarrett Skorup, published on June 14, 2017

Do Millionaires Need More Subsidies?

By Michael D. LaFaive, published on June 13, 2017

Why Government Fails at Economic Development

By Michael D. LaFaive, published on June 9, 2017

Incentive Programs Fail: Evidence is All Too Clear

By Michael D. LaFaive, published on May 29, 2017

Mackinac Center Praises Lawmakers Trying To Hold Pure Michigan Program Accountable

Published on May 8, 2017

Evidence? We Don’t Need No Stinkin’ Evidence, Imply Tourism Officials

By Michael D. LaFaive, published on May 8, 2017

Should Construction Workers Pay Taxes to Billionaires?

By John C. Mozena, published on May 2, 2017

Legislature Considers Reopening a Closed Business Subsidy Program

By James M. Hohman, published on May 1, 2017

Back to the MEGA Future: Good Jobs for Michigan Reinvents Failed MEGA Program

By Michael D. LaFaive, published on April 25, 2017

Proposed Corporate Giveaway Unlikely to Grow Economy

By James M. Hohman, published on April 20, 2017

Dear House Tax Committee: Pure Michigan Return on Investment Not Validated

By Michael D. LaFaive, published on April 18, 2017

What’s Old is New Again: Another Subsidy Program Being Considered by Legislature

By Michael D. LaFaive, published on April 17, 2017

Secretive Bidder Wins Pure Michigan Contract Over Transparent One

By Michael D. LaFaive, published on April 12, 2017

Don’t Bring Back Granholm’s Tax Credit Legacy

By Jarrett Skorup, published on April 10, 2017

The Failing Business of Business Favors

By James M. Hohman, published on April 10, 2017

In the Battle for Jobs, Subsidy Programs Shoot Blanks

By James M. Hohman, published on March 17, 2017

Michigan Already Awash in Business Subsidies

By James M. Hohman, published on March 16, 2017

Michigan Should Reject Special Corporate Developer Bills

By Jarrett Skorup and James M. Hohman, published on March 15, 2017

One State May Do Away With Taxpayer-Funded Tourism Promotion

By Chantal Lovell, published on Feb. 23, 2017

New Subsidies More about Political Development than Economic Development

By James M. Hohman, published on Feb. 20, 2017

People First or Well Connected Developers?

By Jack McHugh and Michael D. LaFaive, published on Feb. 17, 2017

Detroit’s Soccer Stadium Should Stand on its Own

By Michael D. LaFaive and John C. Mozena, published on Feb. 1, 2017

Real Economy Creates 81 Jobs For Every 1 Promised by Business Subsidy Program

By James M. Hohman, published on Jan. 31, 2017

What Happens When the Michigan Economic Development Corporation Ends?

By James M. Hohman, published on Jan. 24, 2017

Tourism Promotion Study Criticism Absurd, Ironic

By Michael D. LaFaive and Dr. Michael J. Hicks, published on Dec. 30, 2016

Plenty of Good Reasons to Oppose Business Subsidies

By James M. Hohman, published on Dec. 16, 2016

Profiles in Courage in Defense of Taxpayers

By James M. Hohman and Jack McHugh, published on Dec. 12, 2016

Michigan House Rejects Cronyism Bills

By Michael D. LaFaive, published on Dec. 8, 2016

Bad Santa: Trump Risks Cronyist Blowout with Carrier Incentives

By Michael D. LaFaive and Jack McHugh, published on Dec. 7, 2016

Mackinac Scholars Challenge Tourism Officials to Debate

By Michael D. LaFaive, published on Nov. 30, 2016

Tourism Officials Invited To Debate Efficacy of Pure Michigan

Published on Nov. 30, 2016

Pistons Move to Downtown Comes With Big Taxpayer Price Tag

Published on Nov. 23, 2016

Study: New Sports Facilities Do Not Increase New Business Openings

By Michael D. LaFaive, published on Nov. 22, 2016

Michigan Employers Create Thousands of Jobs without the Aid of Politicians

By James M. Hohman, published on Nov. 16, 2016

The State Claims ‘Pure Michigan’ is Worth Tens of Millions. It Isn’t.

By Michael D. LaFaive and Dr. Michael J. Hicks, published on Nov. 2, 2016

Pure Michigan’s ‘Budget Justification’

By Michael D. LaFaive and Dr. Michael J. Hicks, published on Nov. 1, 2016

Study: Pure Michigan a Poor Investment

Published on Nov. 1, 2016

Back to the Future for Taxpayer Stadium Funding in Detroit

By Jarrett Skorup, published on Oct. 11, 2016

Time to End the 21st Century Jobs Fund

Published on Sept. 25, 2016

Study Recommends Ending Michigan’s 21st Century Jobs Fund

Published on Sept. 15, 2016

An Evaluation of Michigan's 21st Century Jobs Fund

By James M. Hohman, published on Sept. 15, 2016

Michigan and Ontario Governments Agree to Promote Crony Capitalism Together

By Michael D. LaFaive and Charles Lammam, published on Aug. 26, 2016

Business Climate, Not Cronyism, Key to Michigan’s Future Growth

Published on Aug. 12, 2016

Corporate Welfare’s Strange Allure for Politicians

By Michael D. LaFaive and Jack McHugh, published on Aug. 10, 2016

A Quick Brief on the Housing Recovery in Michigan

By James M. Hohman, published on July 28, 2016

Calls to Expand Michigan’s Economic Development Programs Fall Short

By James M. Hohman, published on July 27, 2016

Michigan Crushes Korea in Corporate Welfare Handouts

By Jack McHugh, published on July 25, 2016

Blown Away By Flawed Research on Jobs Program

By James M. Hohman, published on July 12, 2016

New Evidence: Film Incentives Still Don’t Work

By Michael Van Beek, published on June 27, 2016

Rumors of Taxpayer Spending

By James M. Hohman, published on June 3, 2016

Taxpayers Should Not Be on the Hook for Stadiums

By Jarrett Skorup, published on May 19, 2016

Economic Interference Week

By Michael D. LaFaive, published on May 13, 2016

Job Churn Shows Why Targeted Tax Favors Do Not Work

By James M. Hohman, published on May 6, 2016

Pure Michigan Campaign Ineffective, Needs To End

Published on April 18, 2016

Pure Flummery: Seeing Double on Corporate Welfare Spin

By Michael D. LaFaive, published on April 11, 2016

Reasons to be Optimistic Abound in Michigan Economy

By James M. Hohman, published on April 8, 2016

Are Michigan's Record Labor Force Gains Real?

By James M. Hohman, published on March 24, 2016

Michigan Corporate Welfare’s Secret Giveaway: $1 Billion in 2016

By James M. Hohman, published on March 7, 2016

Grand Rapids: Michigan's Boomtown

By James M. Hohman, published on Feb. 24, 2016

Tax Cuts Beat Selective Favors in Economic Growth

By James M. Hohman, published on Feb. 4, 2016

Michigan Competitiveness Stuck on Mediocre

By Michael D. LaFaive and Jack McHugh, published on Feb. 3, 2016

College Grads Attracted to Opportunity Before Bike Lanes

By James M. Hohman, published on Feb. 1, 2016

Sports Stadium Deals Consistently Strike Out

By Christopher C. Douglas, Ph.D., published on Jan. 28, 2016

LaFaive Op-Ed Published in The Detroit News

Published on Dec. 11, 2015

Addition by Subtraction

By Warren Anderson, published on Dec. 10, 2015

Republicans Backtracking on Previous Good Tax Work

By Jarrett Skorup, published on Dec. 3, 2015

The MEDC’s Pure Michigan Puffery: Part II

By Michael D. LaFaive, published on Dec. 3, 2015

MEDC’s Pure Michigan Puffery: Part I

By Michael D. LaFaive, published on Dec. 3, 2015

Lawmakers Rushing Through Special Tax Breaks

By Jarrett Skorup, published on Nov. 19, 2015

Will Republicans Backtrack on Corporate Welfare Cuts?

By Michael D. LaFaive, published on Nov. 17, 2015

Do Not Assume Economic Development Spending is Effective

By James M. Hohman, published on Nov. 13, 2015

How to Improve Economic Development Transparency

By James M. Hohman, published on Sept. 23, 2015

Mackinac Center Director of Research to Debate Lansing Mayor on Economic Development

Published on Aug. 19, 2015

Film Incentives Clearly Hurt

By James M. Hohman, published on Aug. 3, 2015

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