Pro-Business States Target Anti-Business California

Tony Katz
Nov 24, 2011

In the Nevada Development Authority's http://www.nevadadevelopment.org/ latest ad on Fox News, entertainer Clint Holmes, broadcasting from McCarran Airport in Las Vegas, extols the airport's frequent-flier-friendliness and the virtues of living and working in Nevada:

There's more to Las Vegas than the strip. We're business-friendly, family-oriented and very cost-effective. It's time to relocate your business to the real Las Vegas.

This is one in a series of NDA promotional spots. In another, a fake news correspondent from KTAX (yes...kTAX) reports http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKQbGnfwRT4 that Sacramento lawmakers don't want you to move your business to Las Vegas, with, "...no corporate income taxes, no personal income taxes and low worker comp fees."

Many states are trying to attract California businesses. In the latest issue of City Journal, http://www.city-journal.org/2011/21_4_c ... esses.html Steve Malanga has an article entitled, "Cali to Business: Get Out!" He begins with the story of an Irvine, California medical-technology company that relocated to Salt Lake City, Utah. The CEO, Michael Beeuwsaert, explains how regulations spurred his move:

The tipping point was when someone from the Orange County tax [assessor] wanted to see our facility to tax every piece of equipment I had,â€