This is all absolutely true. "Economic development" is a weird world. There is a logic: elected officials want to be seen as supporting new business growth but

This is all absolutely true. "Economic development" is a weird world. There is a logic: elected officials want to be seen as supporting new business growth but of course can't literally invest taxpayer money in seed rounds. It's not reasonable or sane, of course, but that's why it happens... Anyways, I think that sort of thing is mostly in the past by now? I don't see it happening much around here anymore. Perhaps there's a new grift.