Generous tax breaks given to companies that threaten to take their business elsewhere are coming under increasing scrutiny from state and local officials who say taxpayers aren't getting their money's worth.

Critics say the tax breaks and other financial incentives have gotten out of hand, costing taxpayers billions of dollars and doing little for the economy. [...] Academics say there is little evidence to show that tax breaks have a lasting effect on a local economy.

Macon, Georgia, where I live, is about to build a hotel on a city parking lot for Marriott to operate a hotel. Across from the parking lot, which is on the premises of Macon's Coliseum and Convention Center, is a vacant lot suitable for a hotel. The guy who owns the lot has said he'd be willing to sell it. But no, Marriott apparently would rather take over parking spaces from the city than purchase private property.

Of course, the Coliseum has reported that it will lose business, not gain it, if Marriott builds its hotel. The hotel will take up 400 parking spaces during construction and will permanently take up 100 spaces.

Not to worry, says the City of Macon. It'll just replace those 100 spaces by taking them from the privately owned hospital next door.

By the way, the citizens of Macon went to the polls last month and threw out of office every single person, save one, who voted for this deal. What was City Council's response? They've tried to expedite it so the new City Council, which will have 8 members opposed to it with a new mayor opposed to it, can't kill it.