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WEST DES MOINES GETS TO HOST SUBSIDIZED SERVER FARM FOR MICROSOFT!

August 20, 2008

A Cedar Rapids TV station is reporting that my current hometown, West Des Moines, gets to subsidize Microsoft's newest server farm:

Culver has scheduled a "major economic development announcement" on the west steps of the Statehouse on Thursday morning, at which he will announce Microsoft's plans to build a center in West Des Moines, said an official with knowledge of the announcement who spoke on condition of anonymity to avoid pre-empting Culver's announcement.

Good thing he didn't pre-empt the Governor's announcement there.

Microsoft is getting $36 million in tax breaks to generate jobs for maybe 50 server farmhands (75, according to this article) in the fastest-growing part of Iowa. You can do the math to see how much each "job" costs. The package includes property tax breaks so that I, along with other West Des Moines residents and businesses, can cover the costs of their street maintenance and police and fire protection. Lord knows Microsoft can't afford it. Do you think they'll give us free copies of Excel and Vista?

Tags: corporate welfare.economic development.