Friday, April 11, 2008

Wausau Paper company announced earlier today that it is laying off 40 workers at its Jay mill. Chalk it up as another success of Maine's corporate-tax break system, which we profiled in Lance Tapley's story "Tax Break Heaven," back in February.

Specifically, Wausau got a $593,942 refund of its business-equipment property taxes in fiscal 2007. Back in 2004, the company got $163,710 "double-dip," meaning a "reimbursement" from the state for local property taxes the company never actually paid. (2004 is the most recent year for which double-dip numbers are available.)

Too bad all those handouts from the state - which state officials and business lobbyists say are needed to keep Mainers working - couldn't keep 40 people employed. Who's next?


-Thanks to contributing writer Lance Tapley for being quick on the numbers.

4/11/2008 1:40:29 PM by Jeff Inglis | Comments [0] |