AFP-NC Submits Public Records Requests to North Carolina Officials to Disclose Amazon Bid

Feb 22, 2018 by AFP

RALEIGH, N.C. – Americans for Prosperity-North Carolina (AFP-NC) on Thursday announced it had submitted a public records request seeking records that pertain to incentive offers the state has made to Amazon to build its second headquarters in Raleigh. AFP-NC has been at the forefront of opposing corporate welfare and tax handouts that reduce competition and give well-connected special interests unfair advantages over every day North Carolinians.

“If officials really believed North Carolina families would benefit from the Amazon deal, then they wouldn’t keep the details of this bid boxed up. We deserve to know how much of our money is being offered,” said AFP-NC Interim State Director Anna Beavon Gravely. “The state’s attempt to lure Amazon is a prime example of corporate welfare – taking from taxpayers to give to powerful and well-connected businesses – and a reverse robin hood of the worst kind. If our officials were truly focused on creating opportunities for North Carolinians, they’d reject subsidy programs and support pro-growth policies that help all businesses unleash their potential, not just the ones that grab headlines.”

AFP-NC made public records requests of the Office of State Budget and Management, the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, the Housing Finance Agency, the Department of Administration, the Department of Transportation, the Department of Labor, the Department of Revenue, and the Department of Commerce (Secretary Copeland and Public Records Officer McWilliams).

The letter to Commerce Secretary Copeland can be viewed here.

Background:

The public record request comes on the heels of a new paid digital ad by partner group Generation Opportunity in the areas Amazon is considering for its HQ2 location.

Last year, AFP-NC announced “Reverse Robin Hood Cooper,” an effort aimed at shining a light on Gov. Roy Cooper’s corporate welfare spending. Gov. Cooper has committed more than $167 million to hand-picked businesses and special interests through the One North Carolina Fund and Job Development Investment Grant Program since taking office.

Click here to learn more about Reverse Robin Hood Cooper.

A recent report by The Business Journals found that taxpayer subsidies do not produce the results politicians say they will. According to the report, Amazon receives more than $1.2 billion in tax subsidies. Yet the returns on Amazon’s public investments are mixed at best, with job totals and wages in Stoughton, Mass., and Miami, Fl. falling – leading to accusations that Amazon made misleading promises.

For further information or an interview, reach Lorenz Isidro at LIsidro@afphq.org or (703) 887-7724.

Americans for Prosperity (AFP) exists to recruit, educate, and mobilize citizens in support of the policies and goals of a free society at the local, state, and federal level, helping every American live their dream – especially the least fortunate. AFP has more than 3.2 million activists across the nation, a local infrastructure that includes 36 state chapters, and has received financial support from more than 100,000 Americans in all 50 states. For more information, visit www.americansforprosperity.org

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