Re: @sjiveson - tax blackmail
If I had my way, there would be a nationwide law that there can be no tax breaks, interest free loans or similar incentives to influence a company's decision where to locate or relocate its facilities. But good luck ever getting that passed,
There is a difference between poaching a retail store to move 5 miles (Walmart does this frequently) and inducing a company to locate to a depressed area that has lost some major employers. Detroit/Flint have lost a lot of auto manufacturing as Ford creeps down to Mexico and GM is shifting to China. They have large decaying buildings and ghost residential neighborhoods that they want to reinvigorate. Offering tax incentives, land and other support is a way to get companies to locate to what looks like a bombed out third world country with ghetto-like social problems in place.
It's would be hard to create regulations that prohibited companies from relocating or cities/states from offering inducements to companies to locate operations is their area. Poaching can be a problem, but what do you say to a company being recruited to move from a high tax/high regulation state like California to a state with much lower taxes and a pro-business mentality?
Apple, Google and Starbucks should combine forces and purchase their own country to base operations. I'm sure they could find a nice island with beautiful beaches and book nearly all of their profits there. People would be lined up to work there.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
