"Since its creation in 1974, the ITEP program has sought to cut property taxes for industrial companies to encourage more companies to set up shop in Louisiana. In theory, the saved tax money from these plants ideally would be reinvested back into the economy to cause an economic boom. Instead, tax revenue has declined. In 2017 alone, Louisiana lost $1.9 billion in revenue from local taxing bodies; this tax money was meant to fund schools, police, hospitals, fire departments, parks, libraries, roads, and other public services.
Louisiana was ranked nearly last in categories of healthcare, education, economy, crime, and natural environment in 2019, according to US News. If Louisiana could gain back this tax money, these conditions could improve." Writer Katherine Ritter sees an incongruous relationship between taxes and state improvements, and when she investigated, here's what she found.
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