AP Photo/Paul Sakuma
Thursday, Sept. 4, 2014 | 4:06 p.m.
If it's approved, Gov. Brian Sandoval's $1.3 billion Tesla subsidy would be among the largest such offers in United States history.
A 2013 analysis by watchdog group Good Jobs First ranked 240 mega-deals offered by governments to recruit or retain major employers between 1976 and 2013. Each subsidy was at least $75 million.
By that ranking, Nevada's Tesla deal would be tied for No. 10. Only 13 deals have ever topped $1 billion, according to the group's research.
If Tesla uses all its incentives, the Nevada deal would be in the top three among subsidies for auto companies. Chrysler received $1.3 billion from Michigan, Nissan $1.25 billion from Mississippi, General Motors $1 billion from Michigan and Ford $909 million from Michigan. The three Michigan auto subsidies came in the wake of 2008 recession.
The only other Nevada subsidy to make the mega-deals list: An $89 million subsidy for Apple to build a data center near Reno.
Forty states had at least one mega-deal. Michigan led the country with 29 and New York was second with 23.
These big tax deals are growing more frequent. Between 2008 and 2013, the average frequency of mega-deals per year doubled compared to the previous decade.
Presuming Tesla's projected 6,500 jobs come through, the deal would cost about $170,000 per job. That's far less than the average of $456,000 for mega-deals where job figures were available.
With the exception of Apple, Nevada was a bit player in the business of government subsidies until today.
A New York Times' analysis in 2012 pegged Nevada's subsidies at $12 per capita, the lowest rate of any state.
By comparison, Nevada's competitors in the Tesla sweepstakes offered far more: California ($112), New Mexico ($123), Arizona ($230) and Texas ($759). Even Alabama offered nearly five times more than Nevada at $58 per capita.
Sun Library Services Specialist Rebecca Clifford-Cruz contributed to this report.
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