I don't know the specific details here, but it looks to me like a classic case of the free market working exactly the way it is supposed to, and probably to the benefit of everyone involved. Governments want businesses to move to their area, they bring jobs, tax revenue, development and many other benefits. In order to entice them, they give special deals, such as tax breaks, or free land. This happens at the local, state and even national level.

Businesses are perfectly justified in demanding these bennies because they have an obligation to go where they are getting the best possible deal for their stockholders. So we have a classic free market situation: a negotiation. Hopefully, they can strike a fair bargain that benefits both.

In hard times like this, the businesses have the upper hand, because governments are in financial trouble, they are desperate for the jobs and tax revenue, and businesses are flourishing and can afford to hold out and otherwise play hardball. Sometimes, you get a situation (common where sports teams are concerned) where a city will actually go into debt by floating a bond issue (say, to build a new stadium) in order to attract a business, or keep one in town. For a guy like me who doesn't care about sports, but still has to pay for them in higher taxes, this gives me the shivering fits.

And of course, a new breed of carpetbagger has evolved to exploit this environment, the developer/promoter/lobbyist, who has no interest in helping the city or in operating a business, he just runs around between the two sides making deals, shaking hands, twisting arms, bribing politicians, conning investors, and running a propaganda campaign to make it all happen, taking his 10% right off the top. And if the deal falls through, he makes out anyway. These people have as much to do with free enterprise as lawyers have to do with justice. They think of themselves as entrepreneurs, I think of them as fucking parasites.