The National Freedom of Information Coalition and the Brechner Center for Freedom of Information are pleased to announce the publication of NFOIC’s latest research paper, “Invisible Incentives: How Secrecy Impedes Evaluation and Accountability of Economic Development Subsidies.” Secrecy in economic development spending remains a big challenge for journalists and the public at every level of […]
Tag: Amazon
Why There’s Little Sunshine On Many Economic Development Deals In Florida — And Beyond
As the coronavirus has swept the country, forcing state and local governments to adjust to a new way of doing business, the public’s ability to keep track of government activities has not been easy. Video meetings are often the best governments can offer, and that has put new limits on public participation. But when it […]
Why haven’t a majority of Amazon HQ2 finalists released their proposals?
Ecommerce leader Amazon says it will announce its second headquarters by the end of the year. With less than three months to go, the big reveal could come any day now. As 2018 enters its final quarter, only eight of the 20 finalist cities have released their proposals publicly, and of those, three were heavily […]
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Cities’ secretive offers for Amazon’s HQ2 are raising concerns for many city leaders
Jared Evans, a member of the Indianapolis City-County Council, is proud that the city is among 20 finalists for one of the most coveted prizes in the country: the planned second headquarters of Amazon. He does, however, have one small question: What financial incentives did his city dangle in front of Amazon? “What have I […]
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Utah won’t release details on Amazon tax deal, says info would give advantage to competitors
The Utah State Tax Commission is keeping confidential the details of a new deal for Amazon — which makes an estimated 21 percent of all online sales — to collect sales tax for internet purchases made by Utahns.
The commission this week denied an open-records request for that information, filed by the Libertas Institute, a Salt Lake City-based group that says it fights for liberty.
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‘What’s the CIA doing on Amazon’s cloud?’ Open-government activists want to know
It looms over the road leading to Amazon's headquarters in Seattle. The 48-foot-wide billboard offers a query, but it's actually a challenge. "The $600 million question: What's the CIA doing on Amazon's cloud?" it asks.
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos surely has noticed the massive sign, unless he arrives at work by drone.
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