In the first segment:
When cities and counties try to attract big businesses, they have several tools in their toolbox. Tax abatements or breaks to businesses that bring jobs have become the new normal, so are they worth it?
Today we talk with Brian Kelsey, professor at the University of Texas, Austin and principle at Civic Analytics, and with David Marquez from Bexar County Economic Development about what these all mean and why cities and counties are going this route.
And what happens when politicians are giving tax breaks to their contributors? Texans for Public Justiceare asking that of state comptroller, Susan Combs. In a releaseyesterday contributors to her campaign were given roughly 1.2 billion dollars in tax breaks. Chief Researcher for TPJ, Andrew Wheat joins us to talk to us about that.
In the second segment:
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As the sequester continues to squeeze government programs and governments already cut to the bone, in Europe people are still asking: Is austerity the solution?
Robert Kuttner, author of the new book "Debtors' Prison: The Politics of Austerity Versus Possibility,"
joins us to talk about how the politics of budget cuts are in fact cutting the promise of economic recovery.