The fact is every state brings these incentives to the bargaining table with large firms. A region that doesn’t participate won’t likely get a seat at the table

The fact is every state brings these incentives to the bargaining table with large firms. A region that doesn’t participate won’t likely get a seat at the table. There are state-funded economic development agencies whose role it is to field RFPs from growing firms and complete for the location of their new facilities. This particular one is rather innocent as it is indexed to employee pay, ensuring that employment is required for any future tax breaks. Many of the failed packages have not been crafted so well, for instance with flat sums or without performance requirements. The best thing that could happen would be that states collectively agree to stop playing that game together, but barring a federal ban that seems unlikely that all parties would walk away from that bargaining tool.