Greene County legislators aren't the only ones asking questions about IDAs lately. Just released: A damning report on state Industrial Development Agencies, a team effort by NY Jobs With Justice and Urban Agenda. The report, un-subtly titled "No Return On Our Investment," blasts IDAs for playing shell games with taxpayer money, investing in businesses that cut jobs instead of creating them, and failing to deliver on promises of economic development.
Naturally, IDA directors aren't too happy about the report. The Poughkeepsie Journal reports:
"This is a very broad tarring of IDAs," said Lance Matteson, CEO of the Ulster County Industrial Development Agency. "I think that it is objectively clear that this a skewed, distorted, one-sided but very slick report."
Want to judge for yourself? Here's the report:
If you're curious about the coalition backing the report, here's a list of NY Jobs With Justice's members from SourceWatch, a wiki that keeps track of organizations. And here's Urban Agenda's list of its funders.
