Podcast appearances and mentions of greg leroy

In the midst of the terrible Trump tax bill moving through Congress, Ralph invites Sarah Anderson who directs the Global Economy Project at the Institute for Policy Studies to discuss the massive tax loopholes huge companies like Amazon get that allow them to pay far less in taxes than ordinary working people. Then, Greg LeRoy from Good Jobs First joins us to discuss how state taxpayers are footing the bill for these massive data centers companies like Google are building all over the country. Plus, Ralph has some choice words for passive unions and responds to listener feedback about our guest last week, Nadav Wieman.Sarah Anderson directs the Global Economy Project at the Institute for Policy Studies and is a co-editor of the IPS website Inequality.org. Her research covers a wide range of international and domestic economic issues, including inequality, CEO pay, taxes, labor, and Wall Street reform.They're (Congress is) planning to give huge new tax giveaways to large corporations like Amazon and wealthy people like Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. And partially paying for those tax cuts for the wealthy by slashing programs that mean so much to so many Americans like Medicaid and food assistance.”Sarah AndersonWe're not going to have a healthy, thriving society and economy as long as we have the extreme levels of inequality that we have today.Sarah AndersonDubbed “the leading national watchdog of state and local economic development subsidies,” “an encyclopedia of information regarding subsidies,” “God's witness to corporate welfare,” and “the OG of ensuring that state and local tax policy actually supports good jobs, sustainability, and equity,”* Greg founded Good Jobs First in 1998 upon winning the Public Interest Pioneer Award. He has trained and consulted for state and local governments, associations of public officials, labor-management committees, unions, community groups, tax and budget watchdogs, environmentalists, and smart growth advocates more than 30 years.Public education and public health are the two biggest losers in every state giving away money to data centers right now.Greg Le RoyWe know of no other form of state spending that is so out of control. Therefore, we recommend that states cancel their data center tax exemptions. Such subsidies are absolutely unnecessary for an extremely profitable industry dominated by some of the most valuable corporations on earth such as Amazon, Microsoft, Apple, Facebook, and Google.Good Jobs First report: “Cloudy With a Loss of Spending Control”They've (Congress has) known for years that the ordinary worker pays a higher tax rate than these loophole-ridden corporations.Ralph NaderIn my message to Trump, I ask him, "Why is he afraid of Netanyahu? And doesn't he want to come to the rescue of these innocent babies by saying, ‘Mr. Netanyahu, the taxpayers in this country are paying for thousands of trucks stalled at the border of Gaza full of medicine, food, water, electricity, fuel, and other critical necessities? We're going to put a little American flag on each one of these trucks, and don't you dare block them.'”…No answer.Ralph NaderNews 5/23/251. It seems as though the dam in Israeli politics against acknowledging the horrors in Gaza is beginning to break. In an interview with the BBC this week, former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert stated that what Israel "is currently doing in Gaza is very close to a war crime. Thousands of innocent Palestinians are being killed.” He went on to say, “the war has no objective and has no chance of achieving anything that could save the lives of the hostages.” These quotes come from the Jerusalem Post. And on May 21st, Haaretz reported that opposition party leader Yair Golan warned that Israel could become a “pariah state, like South Africa once was,” based on its actions in Gaza. Speaking a truth that American politicians appear incapable of articulating, he added, a “sane state does not wage war against civilians, does not kill babies as a hobby, and does not set goals for itself like the expulsion of a population.”2. Confirming this prognosis, the Cradle reports “The Israeli military has admitted that more than 80 percent of the people killed in the attacks on Gaza since Israel breached the ceasefire two months ago are…civilians.” This fact was confirmed by the IDF in response to a request from Hebrew magazine Hamakom, wherein “the military's spokesperson stated that 500 of the 2,780 killed in the Gaza Strip as of Tuesday are ‘terrorists.'” Leaving the remaining 2,280 people killed classified as “not suspected terrorists.” The Cradle compares this ratio, approximately 4.5 civilians killed for every combatant, to the Russia-Ukraine war – a ratio of approximate 2.8 to one. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has “claimed that the ratio is just one civilian killed for each combatant killed.” At the same time, AP reports that while Israel has allowed a minimum of humanitarian aid to enter Gaza, under immense international pressure, “none of that aid actually reached Palestinians,” according to the United Nations spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric. The renewed offensive coupled with the barring of humanitarian aid has raised the alarm about mass starvation in Gaza.3. Developments on the ground in Gaza have triggered a new wave of international outcry. On May 19th, leaders of the United Kingdom, France and Canada issued a joint statement, reading in part, “We strongly oppose the expansion of Israel's military operations in Gaza. The level of human suffering in Gaza is intolerable… The Israeli Government's denial of essential humanitarian assistance to the civilian population is unacceptable and risks breaching International Humanitarian Law…We will not stand by while the Netanyahu Government pursues these egregious actions. If Israel does not cease the renewed military offensive and lift its restrictions on humanitarian aid, we will take further concrete actions in response.” The Parliament of Spain meanwhile, “passed a non-binding motion calling on the government to impose an arms embargo on Israel,” per Anadolu Ajansı. This potential ban, supported by all parties except the conservative People's Party and the far-right Vox, would “ban the exports of any material that could strengthen the Israeli military, including helmets, vests, and fuel with potential military use.” Left-wing parties in Spain are now pushing for an emergency session to impose a binding decree to this effect.4. The United States however seems to be moving backwards. Drop Site news reports Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff made a deal with Hamas ensuring that, “the Trump administration would compel Israel to lift the Gaza blockade and allow humanitarian aid to enter the territory…[and] make a public call for an immediate ceasefire,” in exchange for the release of Edan Alexander. Of course, once Alexander was released Trump reneged completely. Basem Naim, a member of Hamas's political bureau, told Drop Site, “He did nothing of this…They didn't violate the deal. They threw it in the trash.” Besides prolonging further the charnel house in Gaza, this duplicity undermines American credibility in the region, particularly with Iran at a time when Trump is seeking a new deal to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons.5. Democrats in Congress are inching towards action as well. On May 13th, Senator Peter Welch introduced Senate Resolution 224, calling for “the urgent delivery of humanitarian aid to address the needs of civilians in Gaza.” Along with Welch, 45 Democrats and Independents signed on to this resolution, that is the entire Democratic caucus except for John Fetterman. On May 14th, Rashida Tlaib introduced House Resolution 409, commemorating the Nakba and calling on Congress to “reinstate support for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, which provides life-saving humanitarian assistance to Palestinians.” This was cosponsored by AOC and Reps. Carson, Lee, Omar, Pressley, Ramirez, Simon, and Coleman. And, on May 21st, a group of eight senators – Welch, Sanders, Kaine, Merkley, Murray, Van Hollen, Schatz, and Warnock – sent a letter urging Secretary of State Rubio to reopen the investigation into the death of Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu-Akleh, per Prem Thakker. The Biden administration ruled the death “unintentional,” but a new documentary by Zeteo News reveals a “Biden cover-up.”6. More action is occurring on college campuses as well, as students go into graduation season. At NYU, a student named Logan Rozos said in his graduation speech, “As I search my heart today in addressing you all…the only thing that is appropriate to say in this time and to a group this large is a recognition of the atrocities currently happening in Palestine,” per CNN. NYU announced that they are now withholding his diploma. At George Washington University, the Guardian reports student Cecilia Culver said in her graduation speech, “I am ashamed to know my tuition [fee] is being used to fund…genocide…I call upon the class of 2025 to withhold donations and continue advocating for disclosure and divestment.” GWU issued a statement declaring Culver “has been barred from all GW's campuses and sponsored events elsewhere.” The moral clarity of these students is remarkable, given the increasingly harsh measures these schools have taken to silence those who speak up.7. Moving on, several major stories about the failing DOGE initiative have surfaced in recent days. First, Social Security. Listeners may recall that a DOGE engineer said “40% of phone calls made to [the Social Security Administration] to change direct deposit information come from fraudsters.” Yet, a new report by NextGov.com found that since DOGE mandated the SSA install new anti-fraud checks on claims made over the phone, “only two claims out of over 110,000 were found to likely be fraudulent,” or 0.0018%. What the policy has done however, is slow down payments. According to this piece, retirement claim processing is down 25%. Meanwhile, at the VA, DOGE engineer Sahil Lavingia, “found…a machine that largely functions, though it doesn't make decisions as fast as a startup might.” Lavingia added “honestly, it's kind of fine—because the government works. It's not as inefficient as I was expecting, to be honest. I was hoping for more easy wins.” This from Fast Company. Finally, CBS reports, “leaders of the United States Institute for Peace regained control of their offices Wednesday…after they were ejected from their positions by the Trump administration and [DOGE] in March.” This piece explains that On February 19th, President Trump issued Executive Order 14217 declaring USIP "unnecessary" and terminating its leadership, most of its 300 staff members, its entire board, installing a DOGE functionary at the top and transferring ownership of the building to the federal government. This set off a court battle that ended Monday, when U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell ruled that the takeover was “unlawful” and therefore “null and void.” These DOGE setbacks might help explain Elon Musk's reported retreat from the political spotlight and political spending.8. On May 21st, Congressman Gerry Connolly passed away, following his battle with esophageal cancer. Connolly's death however is just the latest in a disturbing trend – Ken Klippenstein reports, “Connolly joins five other members of Congress who also died in office over the past 13 months…Rep. Raúl Grijalva…Rep. Sylvester Turner…Rep. Bill Pascrell…Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee…[and] Rep. Donald Payne Jr.” All of these representatives were Democrats and their deaths have chipped away at the close margin between Democrats and Republicans in the House – allowing the Republicans to pass Trump's “Big Beautiful Bill” by a single vote. Connolly himself prevailed over AOC in a much-publicized intra-party battle for the Ranking Member seat on the House Oversight committee. It speaks volumes that Connolly was only able to hold onto that seat for a few short months before becoming too sick to stay on. This is of course part and parcel with the recent revelations about Biden's declining mental acuity during his presidency and the efforts to oust David Hogg from the DNC for backing primaries against what he calls “asleep-at-the-wheel” Democrats.9. Speaking of “asleep-at-the-wheel” Democrats, Bloomberg Government reports Senator John Fetterman “didn't attend a single committee hearing in 2025 until…May 8, about a week after an explosive New York Magazine story raised questions about his mental health and dedication to his job.” Fetterman, who represents Pennsylvania on the Commerce, Agriculture, and Homeland Security committees skipped the confirmation hearings for Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Budget Director Russ Vought, some of the most high-profile and controversial Trump appointments. Fetterman still has yet to attend a single Agriculture committee hearing in 2025.10. Finally, in more Pennsylvania news, the state held its Democratic primaries this week, yielding mixed results. In Pittsburgh, progressives suffered a setback with the ouster of Mayor Ed Gainey – the first Black mayor of the city. Gainey lost to Allegheny County Controller Corey O'Connor, the son of former Mayor Bob O'Connor, the Hill reports. In Philadelphia however, voters approved three ballot measures – including expanding affordable housing and adding more oversight to the prison system – and reelected for a third term progressive reform District Attorney Larry Krasner, per AP. Krasner has long been a target of conservatives in both parties, but has adroitly maneuvered to maintain his position – and dramatically reduced homicide rates in Philly. The Wall Street Journal reports Philadelphia homicides declined by 34% between 2023 and 2024, part of substantial decline in urban homicides nationwide. Kudos to Krasner.This has been Francesco DeSantis, with In Case You Haven't Heard. Get full access to Ralph Nader Radio Hour at www.ralphnaderradiohour.com/subscribe

Nancy Altman, President of the political advocacy group, Social Security Works, joined the America's Work Force Union Podcast to discuss the Social Security Administration data breach, the potential appointment of a new Social Security commissioner and the need for public engagement.  Greg LeRoy, Executive Director of Good Jobs First, joined the America's Work Force Union Podcast to discuss the impact of corporate subsidies, the financial burden of data centers and the role its Violation Tracker can play in holding companies accountable.

What is in line for the political career for the National Rally leader, Marine Le Pen? Today Radio Schuman digs in to the aftermath of the court barring Marine Le Pen from running for public office for five years with Euronews journalist Greg Leroy.Le Pen has condemned the ruling as politically motivated and stated that millions of French citizens are outraged. She vowed to appeal and requested that the proceedings conclude before the 2027 campaign. Until the appeal is resolved, she remains ineligible to run for office.Radio Schuman also looks at average salaries in Europe for police officers.Radio Schuman is hosted and produced by Maïa de la Baume, with journalist and production assistant Eleonora Vasques, audio editing by David Brodheim. Music by Alexandre Jas. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Buddy Malone, Business Manager of the Parkersburg-Marietta Building and Construction Trades Council (PMBTC), joined the America's Work Force Union Podcast to discuss the region's workforce development programs and the state of the construction industry along the Ohio and West Virginia border. Greg LeRoy, founder of Good Jobs First, joined the America's Work Force Union Podcast to share his insights on combating wage theft, corporate misconduct and protecting workers.

Merrilee Logue, Executive Director for the National Labor Office of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, joined the America's Work Force Union Podcast to discuss her battle with breast cancer during Breast Cancer Awareness Month. She shared what she learned from her battle in hopes it will help others navigate their care post-diagnosis. Greg Leroy, Executive Director of Good Jobs First, joined the America's Work Force Union Podcast to discuss an article that examined the impact of film and televsion subsidies on state and local communities.

LINKS:Sponsor: My Own PACPod Virginia | PatreonLearn more about Jackleg MediaThis week, Michael is joined by Greg LeRoy of Good Jobs First to break down the latest on the Northern Virginia arena deal which died in the General Assembly Session. While there's still a chance it'll get resurrected this year, that's looking unlikely--with Senator Lucas holding fast to her opposition and the one-page report full of questionable estimates. Plus, what does it mean that a Monumental executive cancelled last-minute before appearing on this episode?

Jacob Whiton and Greg LeRoy on state film subsidies

LINKS:Learn more about Jackleg MediaGood Jobs FirstThis week, Michael is joined by Greg LeRoy, author of The Great American Jobs Scam: Corporate Tax Dodging and the Myth of Job Creation to break down the proposal to build a $2 billion sports arena in Alexandria. The proposal claims 30,000 jobs will be created in return for Virginia taxpayers footing the initial cost--but LeRoy says "economic development" projects don't create lasting jobs and tend to shuffle around existing money. They break down the mechanics of the deal, the costs and benefits, and how state subsidies for the arena might not be worth it after all.

Zeph Capo, President of the Texas American Federation of Teachers joined the America's Workforce Union Podcast and discussed the Strive to Thrive Project, which found poor working conditions in the Texas public school systems. He also recapped the year that was for the Texas AFT in 2023 and looked ahead to 2024. Good Jobs First Executive Director Greg Leroy appeared on the America's Work Force Union Podcast and talked about how government tax subsidies often lead to the creation of low-quality jobs instead of good-paying union jobs. He also shed light on why datacenters do not benefit communities like people may think.

As part of our continued coverage of National Suicide Awareness Week, Director of Health Promotion for the Laborers Health and Safety Fund of North America, Jamie Becker, joined the America's Work Force Union Podcast to discuss the mental health initiatives and resources LIUNA provides for members. Becker also discussed the Health and Safety Fund and how adaptability is key for their mental health program. Executive Director of Good Jobs First, Greg LeRoy, joined the America's Work Force Union Podcast to talk about loopholes in the Inflation Reduction Act and the impact on the economy. LeRoy also talked about similarities to the loopholes found in the Clean Energy Savings For All Initiative and why the UAW's negotiations are being impacted by them.

President of the NewsGuild-Communication Workers of America, Jon Schleuss joined the America's Work Force Union Podcast to discuss multiple newsroom strikes across the country. Schleuss also talked about the issues with the financialization business plan for newspapers and the successful contract negotiations for the New York Times. Greg LeRoy, Executive Director of Good Jobs First joined the America's Work Force Union Podcast to talk about tax breaks given to Amazon across America. LeRoy also discussed the limited job creation that datacenters create and since chip plants are receiving subsidies from the U.S. Government, cities need to be careful when offering their own tax breaks to corporations.

March 16, 2023--How do corporate subsidies hurt communities? Greg LeRoy's group Good Jobs First tracks those tax-payer give-aways and how they devastate school districts. With hosts Steve and Annie.  

One of the big topics of discussion in Salem right now is whether to provide new subsidies for semiconductor companies like Intel. This push for new subsidies stems from the congressional enactment of the CHIPS Act, by which the federal government has pledged tens of billions of dollars to ramp up semiconductor manufacturing in the U.S. Understandably, Oregon lawmakers are eager to see some of that money flow to Oregon.But are corporate subsidies worth the cost? Do business incentives actually accomplish what state and local governments hope to achieve? And what should Oregon lawmakers do in response to the semiconductor industry's current call for new state subsidies?In this episode of Policy for the People, we explore these questions with two guests: Greg LeRoy, executive director at Good Jobs First, and John Calhoun, a volunteer with Tax Fairness Oregon.

Southern Nevada Building Trades Union's (SNBTU) Executive Secretary-Treasurer Vince Saavedra joined the America's Work Force Union Podcast and discussed the generational change unions provide working families as a pathway out of poverty and into the middle class. He also talked about the need to provide accessible childcare so more women can begin a career in the trades.   Greg Leroy, Executive Director of the national policy resource center Good Jobs First, appeared on the America's Work Force Union Podcast and talked about where tax payer dollars go when used for union jobs, deals and projects. He also shared how he armed people with this information through books from the 1990s to the present day.

Greg LeRoy lays out the Overton Window on selective business subsidies

Progressive economist, Robert Pollin, gives us his take on the causes and remedies of the current inflationary spiral, and what both the Fed and the Biden Administration can do about it. Then, Ralph welcomes back, Greg LeRoy, from Good Jobs First, the organization that tracks corporate handouts, to update us on taxpayer giveaways to the EV industry, billionaire sports franchise owners, and how the recent abortion bans may hurt those state's economies.

Economic pressure is presented as a way of avoiding violence. But there's a problem with seeing sanctions as an alternative to war. The post Khury Petersen-Smith on Economic Sanctions, Greg LeRoy on Amazon Subsidies appeared first on FAIR.

Ohio Federation of Teachers President Melissa Cropper was the first guest on today's episode of the AWF Union Podcast. She discussed difficulties faced by teachers attempting to unionize at Menlo Park in northeast Ohio. She also discussed legislation introduced by Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH) to help students with Social Emotional Learning. Good Jobs First Executive Director Greg LeRoy was also featured on today's show. He spoke about CARES Act spending and how those expenditures were poorly documented by most states. LeRoy also discussed the fact taxpayers are funding Amazon warehouse expansions.

Ever since the hubbub over Amazon's HQ2, I've been curious about subsidies for big companies and whether or not they deliver on their promises. Greg LeRoy, Executive Director of Good Jobs First, explains how subsidies function and who suffers when governments miss out on tax revenue.   Recommended reading: Paying Taxes to the Boss | Good Jobs First Great American Jobs Scam (goodjobsfirst.org) Opportunity Zones | Good Jobs First Abating Our Future: How Students Pay for Corporate Tax Breaks | Good Jobs First Amazon Tracker | Good Jobs First Follow along on the internet: https://www.instagram.com/tcbrpod/ https://twitter.com/TCBRpod https://thatcantberight.substack.com/ Follow Rhian on the internet: https://twitter.com/RhiansHope https://www.instagram.com/rhianshope/ https://www.joinclubhouse.com/@rhianshope

The notion of real change after Donald Trump is undermined by a close look at Biden's actual immigration policy. The post Laura Carlsen on Biden's Central America Policy, Greg LeRoy on Texas Corporate Subsidies appeared first on FAIR.

(1:40) Mitch introduces Greg LeRoy, Executive Director of Good Jobs First. (3:13) Greg notes that America's state and city governments spend roughly $70B/yr in economic development incentives to corporations, who often use those incentives in turn to pay no taxes on property or income over the course of their local operation, thus failing to deliver returns on the public's investment. He cites a depression-era Mississippi scheme as the origin of America's "tax break industrial complex", coinciding with the birth of "site location consulting companies" like Fantus, as the building blocks of a "second war among states" which has since produced net losses as a rule rather than an exception. (5:20) Greg explains how these tax incentives regularly go to corporations who are bound for the region anyway, given how little a local tax code contributes to the cost structure of company operations. (7:50) Greg notes that the highly-publicized Amazon HQ2 site competition is simply a rare public glimpse into the kinds of self-defeating dog-and-pony shows that occur hundreds of times each year, in secret. (10:36) Good Jobs First maintains a database of "mega deals" -- incentive plans over $50MM for one project -- and the average cost per job across such deals is $658,000, borne entirely by taxpayers. His message here is that such deals are, if nothing else, programs designed to transfer wealth from taxpayers to shareholders. (18:38) We discuss a particularly preposterous case study in the second war among states, occurring over the course of a decade between Kansas and Missouri vying for Kansas City job growth. In the end, the two states had collectively spent $321 million to lure 6,000 jobs one way and 5,500 the other way, netting a per job tax incentive cost of $642,000. Greg makes the important note that government eventually learned its lesson, and has since created an interstate regulation prohibiting either state from using tax dollars to draw jobs across the border in the Kansas City region. (27:12) Mitch's hot take: Americans yearn so much for familiar identity (which manufacturing and other blue-collar jobs promise) that many would simply ignore or willingly dismiss the obvious math that says these tax incentives are hurting their communities. Greg recalls the early part of his career, researching the tax breaks that incentivized plants to close and companies to move, and agonizing over the loss of direction and purpose those victimized towns felt. His solution: make the community the source of familiarity and identity, not the employer. Invest in education, health & wellness, good transit, clean air, and the stickiness of the city will stand above any corporate temptation.

Alliance for American Manufacturing President Scott Paul was the first featured guest on AWF Union Podcast today. Paul spoke with Ed “Flash” Ferenc, covering topics such as the jobless report, reshoring jobs to the United States, keeping up with the manufacturing demands of PPE, the Defense Production Act and domestic mineral production. Also featured on the Oct. 5 edition of America’s Work Force Union Podcast was Good Jobs First Executive Director Greg LeRoy. LeRoy spoke about the sins of corporate America during the COVID-19 pandemic, wage theft, OSHA violations and stimulus packages.

Ohio AFL-CIO President, Tim Burga spoke with America’s Work Force Radio Podcast on July 7 about the HEROES Act and why there is a big push to get it passed. He also spoke about the AFL-CIO and their endorsement of Joe Biden for President.Executive Director of Good Jobs First, Greg LeRoy discussed keeping companies accountable when they receive tax breaks and the Good Jobs First COVID-19 stimulus watch.

Ralph talks about how ending corporate tax giveaways and enacting a stock transfer tax can help the country recover from the recession caused by the Covid-19 pandemic with first Greg LeRoy of Good Jobs First and then New York State Assemblyman, Phil Steck. Plus, we pay tribute to a number of progressive activists and thinkers we’ve lost recently, including one of our favorite and frequent guests, the Green Cowboy, David Freeman.   

Episode 234 Ralph talks about how ending corporate tax giveaways and enacting a stock transfer tax can help the country recover from the recession caused by the Covid-19 pandemic with first Greg LeRoy of Good Jobs First and then New York State Assemblyman, Phil Steck. Plus, we pay tribute to a number of progressive activists and thinkers we've lost recently, including one of our favorite and frequent guests, the Green Cowboy, David Freeman.

Greg LeRoy is the founder and executive director of Good Jobs First, a national policy resource center promoting corporate and government accountability in economic development. Good Jobs First provides information on best practices in state and local job subsidies. Greg and VEDP’s president and CEO, Stephen Moret discuss the inspiration for the creation of Good Jobs First, thoughts about the Amazon HQ2 project, and the future of economic development incentives in the U.S.

After a months-long campaign involving 238 candidate cities, Amazon has announced that it will be opening two new headquarters in New York and Virginia. The company was offered more than $3 billion in tax breaks and other incentives to close the deal. We talk with Greg LeRoy, executive director of Good Jobs First, an organization which promotes government accountability in economic development.

After a months-long campaign involving 238 candidate cities, Amazon has announced that it will be opening two new headquarters in New York and Virginia. The company was offered more than $3 billion in tax breaks and other incentives to close the deal. We talk with Greg LeRoy, executive director of Good Jobs First, an organization which promotes government accountability in economic development.

Last week we heard all about the benefits of Amazon's HQ2. Now we hear the downsides. This marks the first time in 40 years we've heard two opposing viewpoints being given equal value in the same place.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 109: I’m a dog with a bone. I take on Amazon for the second straight week for its utter highway robbery, with the willing participation of politicians, of the people of New York and Virginia. Greg Leroy, executive director of Good Jobs First, kicks off our episode with a deep dive into the lies about what this deal will cost and, surprise, it’s a whole lot more than Amazon and its political allies are saying. I, then, talk to Stuart Appelbaum, president of the Retail Wholesale and Department Store Union, who phones in from London where he is attending a meeting of a coalition of global unions strategizing solely over the viciously anti-union Amazon. I wrap up the episode with Maritza Silva-Farrell, executive director of the Alliance for a Greater New York (ALIGN). Ok, you are all smart listeners—guess who the Robber Baron of the week is? -- Jonathan Tasini Follow me on Twitter @jonathantasini Sign up for The Working Life Podcast at: www.workinglife.org Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jonathan.tasini.3

Dubbed “the leading national watchdog of state and local economic development subsidies” and “God's witness to corporate welfare,” Greg founded Good Jobs First in 1998 upon winning the Public Interest Pioneer Award. He has been training and consulting for state and local governments, associations of public officials, labor-management committees, unions, community groups, tax and budget watchdogs, environmentalists, and smart growth advocates more than 30 years.Greg backed into subsidy reform accidentally, while creating a national consulting practice against plant closings from Chicago from the early 1980s through the mid-1990s. He is associate producer of the 1984 PBS documentary The Last Pullman Car and consulted for state agencies in Illinois, New York, and Washington State. His 1986 Early Warning Manual Against Plant Closings (upon which he trained all 50 states' Dislocated Worker Units under contract to the U.S. Department of Labor) and his 1989 study “Intervening With Aging Owners to Save Industrial Jobs” (the first study to quantify the risk of job loss due to a lack of succession planning) set precedents that guided many public agencies and non-profits.Numerous plant closings he worked on involved abuse of economic development subsidies; factories that had received past incentives were now being shuttered. Usually, the fine print revealed that such abuses were technically legal; those revelations lead to public outrage and the enactment of clawbacks and other safeguards to prevent future waste. Sometimes there was a basis for legal challenge: in 1987, Greg wrote a study that triggered the City of Duluth's successful lawsuit against Triangle Corporation; the nationally-reported verdict arrested the closure of that city's largest factory, Diamond Tool, based on an Industrial Revenue Bond contract. Between 1990 and 1992, he assisted the Oil, Chemical and Atomic Workers in Elkhart, Indiana in their multiple-abuse lawsuit against American Home Products that settled for $24 million on the eve of trial.Collecting the reforms prompted by these revelations (clawbacks, disclosure, job quality standards, etc.), Greg wrote No More Candy Store: States and Cities Making Job Subsidies Accountable in 1994. It was lauded by the International Economic Development Council as “very impressive research” and reviewed by the National Conference of State Legislatures a “famous polemic that contends that subsidies for economic development are mere corporate giveaways, and that calls for greater accountability and public restraint.”Founding Good Jobs First in Washington, DC in 1998, partnering with the Fiscal Policy Institute to launch Good Jobs New York in 2000, and welcoming the Corporate Research Project in 2001, Greg has built a full-service resource center for constituency-based organizations and public officials seeking to reform economic development. Since its first report in 1999, Good Jobs First has issued more than 100 studies, setting a long string of influential research precedents about economic development subsidies.Good Jobs First's 50-states-plus-DC “report card” studies, such as “Show Us the Subsidized Jobs,” have made it de facto the arbiter of best state and local practice in transparency (disclosing deal-specific costs and benefits online). It is also the go-to source on best practices for job creation and job quality standards, and for enforcement including “clawbacks,” or recapture safeguards. Led by research director Phil Mattera, Good Jobs First research analysts Leigh McIlvaine, Tommy Cafcas and Kasia Tarczynska monitor subsidy news in all 50 states and provide front-line technical assistance.In response to GJF's 2003 study, A Better Deal for Illinois, that state enacted the nation's best subsidy disclosure system. In 2005, New York City enacted the best local disclosure ordinance in the nation (enhanced in 2010) after repeated agitations by Good Jobs New York's Bettina Damiani with the NYC Industrial Development Agency.Greg's 2005 book The Great American Jobs Scam: Corporate Tax Dodging and the Myth of Job Creation (Berrett-Koehler Publishers) was widely reviewed by daily newspapers, specialty tax and development publications, C-Span's Book TV, The New York Review of Books, Publishers Weekly and Library Journal. Business Week called it a “powerful compendium of corporate tax dodging in the U.S.” and State Tax Notes wrote: “meticulously documented …scrupulously accurate …evocative storytelling…”He has book chapters in Building Health Communities: A Guide to Community Economic Development for Advocates, Lawyers, and Policymakers (American Bar Association, 2009) and Breakthrough Communities: Sustainability and Justice in the Next American Metropolis (MIT Press, 2009).Greg summarizes the job-creation benefits of smart growth for working families in this article in Urban Habitat's Race, Poverty and the Environment entitled “Public Transit and Urban Density Create More Good Jobs.”

Greg LeRoy, Patrick Valtin

This week on the Heartland Labor Forum, we interview Greg Leroy of Good Jobs First about their new database of corporate tax giveaways and a clever accounting rule that could […] The post The Great Job Creation Scam: Wisconsin's New “FoxCon” and Subsidizing Robot Jobs appeared first on KKFI.

In this episode of our podcast, Building Local Power, ILSR's Stacy Mitchell interviews Greg LeRoy of Good Jobs First about the tax incentive packages that governments give to big corporations, and how local governments can do economic development better.… Read More

When an average of about 2% of a state's employers have more than 100 employees, why are they receiving 80-90% of the incentive dollars from state economic development programs?  Greg LeRoy of Good Jobs First joins Ric on Critical Mass Radio Show to discuss the findings of his organizations latest research. 

Ralph talks to Greg LeRoy of Good Jobs First about how to fight shady development deals in your community and along the way Steve and David find out that the New York Stock Exchange is actually a non-profit organization. Ralph also gives his review of the president's State of the Union address, and we answer more listener questions.