Photo: Ribbon cutting at a Walmart expansion.
21 Oct 2015

States Shower Big Companies with Economic Development Incentives, at Small Businesses’ Expense

by | Date: 21 Oct 2015 | posted in: Retail | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

Even when state economic development programs purport to be open to businesses of any size, in practice, they overwhelmingly favor large companies, according to a study released Tuesday. The study determined that 90 percent of a $3.2 billion pot of economic development incentives was awarded to large firms, a finding that casts light on one of the ways that small businesses are placed at a competitive disadvantage.… Read More

Illustration: Seesaw
8 May 2015

How Washington Punishes Small Business

by | Date: 8 May 2015 | posted in: Retail | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

In our op-ed for the Wall Street Journal, we look at how much of our public policy seems to designed to bend the market in the favor of big corporations, and put small, independent businesses at a competitive disadvantage.… Read More
4 Feb 2015

ILSR Joins Independent Business Groups in Pushing for Disclosure of Corporate Subsidies

by | Date: 4 Feb 2015 | posted in: Retail | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

ILSR joined other members of the Advocates for Independent Business coalition in submitting a joint public comment letter in support of a landmark proposal to require local and state governments, as part of their financial reporting, to annually disclose the tax breaks and incentives they have provided to corporations in the name of economic development. … Read More

Image of Capitol with Citizens
5 Jul 2013

Towards a Localist Policy Agenda

by | Date: 5 Jul 2013 | posted in: Retail | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

To regenerate local businesses, we’ll need more than Buy Local campaigns; we’ll need to change public policy, which now favors big business. In this presentation, Stacy Mitchell looks at seven key policy areas to focus on.… Read More
22 Oct 2012

Six Small Business Issues at Stake in this Election

by | Date: 22 Oct 2012 | posted in: Retail | 3 Facebooktwitterredditmail

Here’s a look at six small business issues at stake in next month’s federal and state elections, including bank reform, corporate tax advantages, getting corporate money out of politics, capping credit card fees, and creating preferences for local businesses in government purchasing. … Read More

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