Burnt Orange Report

The technology bug

By Nathan Nance

Guest post by Nate Nance

Gov. Perry has announced he will ask the Texas Legislature to renew the Texas Enterprise Fund with $300 million dollars and the establishment of the Texas Emerging Technology Fund. Already many businesses have voiced their approval of the project because it adds money to Texas' fight to compete on the global stage for technology companies investments.

And we already have new companies coming to us because of it. California-based Countrywide Financial will expand it Texas offices and will add 7,500 new jobs over the next several years. That's a good start and I like this program. Before you get all confused by my rantings about corporate subsidies and whatnot, let me explain. I don't like straight out subsidies and I don't like subsidizing through the tax code for large multi-nationals and companies that can damn well pay there own way.

But I don't think there is anything wrong with having a government program specifically for spending money to attract investment. If we use some taxpayer money to spruce up an office park and get a financial company to come and start adding jobs, I say job well done.

There's a fine line in there, and one that's probably open to some abuse. But I think that it is a good start for Texas to start attracting much-needed investment.

Guest post by Nathan Nance. Nate is a sports/news clerk at the Waco Tribune-Herald and writer/editor of Common Sense a Texas-based Democratic Web log. He can be reached at nate_nance@yahoo.com.