By Dan Conti/KPR
Frankfort, KY – Kentucky politicians are divided on if the state should provide incentives to retail businesses to encourage them to come to the Commonwealth. Democratic State Senator Joey Pendleton says Kentucky should be doing as much to bring retail businesses to the state as it does to attract manufacturing plants. He says retailers often provide more jobs than industrial facilities. But Republican Joe Bowen says he's skeptical about offering large retailers inducements to locate in Kentucky. He says they can come at the expense of small businesses. Bowen says,
"When we talk about incentives in the retail realm that's really dangerous, that's a sticky wicket, because it doesn't take much to give someone an unfair advantage. That's gone on in a lot of different communities, not only in Kentucky but across the country."
Bowen says providing big box stores incentives to locate in a community may give them an even bigger competitive edge over smaller retailers.