Commentary

Govs run smack to lure business

Arnold has made a habit over going to other states (either in person or in billboard form) and trying to convince businesses to come (or perhaps return) to California. For example: In August, he clambered aboard an 18-wheeler bearing the words “Arnold’s Moving Company” and rolled into the belly of the beast, onto the Las Vegas Strip. To runaway companies, he was saying: Come back, all is forgiven ââ?¬â?? and cheaper. Now other governors are fighting back: At one soft target, the corner of Hollywood and Vine, an eight-story banner, the sly handiwork of Nevada, is being unfurled: “Will your business be terminated?” California, it says, is getting beaten black and blue by taxes, fees, workers’ comp rates. Come do business in our state, it hints, where your employees won’t give you any problems. And even Massachusetts is going after California businesses with the same pro-business talk: Last week, Massachusetts went on the offensive, putting up billboards in San Francisco, San Diego and Los Angeles with the image of its own governor, Mitt Romney ââ?¬â?? Mitt, as in oven mitt ââ?¬â?? mocking Schwarzenegger: “Smaller muscles, but lower taxes! Massachusetts means business!” It’s good that businesses can (sort of) escape high taxes and regs by simply moving to another state–also good to see that governors will rethink state policy in order to woo business. And it’s more evidence that it’s usually Americans who “take” jobs from other Americans.