The True Cost to Idaho

While proponents might argue that these incentives attract businesses and create jobs, the reality is far more complex and potentially detrimental:

Tax Burden Shift

As large corporations effectively eliminate their tax liability through these numerous incentives, the burden of funding state services inevitably shifts to small businesses and individual taxpayers.

Unfair Competition

By providing such significant advantages to large businesses, the state is essentially subsidizing them to compete against local, small businesses that don't have access to the same benefits.

Opportunity Cost

The millions (potentially billions) of dollars in tax revenue foregone through these incentives could be used to support small businesses, improve infrastructure, or enhance education -- all of which could provide more broad-based economic benefits.

Race to the Bottom

Such generous incentives can trigger a "race to the bottom" among states, where the primary beneficiaries are large corporations while states compete to offer ever-larger tax breaks.

Economic Distortion

The heavy focus on manufacturing and large-scale employers may lead to an overconcentration in certain sectors, potentially making the state's economy more vulnerable to economic shocks.

Energy Inefficiency

While the Idaho Power Industrial Efficiency Incentive promotes energy-efficient designs, the overall structure of incentives may encourage large-scale, energy-intensive industries, potentially conflicting with long-term sustainability goals.