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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Office of Communications, 202-588-6141
National Trust Names Helena, Montana, One of America’s
Dozen Distinctive Destinations
Annual List Promotes Heritage Tourism
Washington, DC (March 2, 2005) – Known for its setting amid pristine rivers, majestic mountains and wide-open spaces, Helena, Mont. (pop. 26,500) is a city of extraordinary beauty. Montana's third territorial capital, today’s state capitol and seat of spectacular Lewis and Clark County, Helena became “Queen City of the Rockies” with the boom sparked by an 1864 gold strike. When the precious ore played out, the city fought off becoming a ghost town, leveraging its central location to reemerge as a territorial banking, political and commercial center. Today, the city's glorious past can be witnessed in a treasure trove of spectacular 19th-century mansions, historic mining-era businesses and restored pioneer dwellings. The imposing St. Helena Cathedral – modeled after the cathedral in Cologne, Germany – overlooks the downtown area, its lofty towers offering a manmade echo of the stony spires of the surrounding mountains. Nearby, the original Governor's Mansion and the copper-domed State Capitol Building are popular landmarks worthy of a visit – as are the Montana Historical Museum and the shops in the downtown area known as Last Chance Gulch. Its prime location on the Rocky Mountains Front allows Helena to offer a wide range of activities for outdoor enthusiasts. Visitors can hike along the Continental Divide Trail, through the Blackfoot Meadows or into Mount Helena City Park, with spectacular views of town from 5,460 feet. For water-sports enthusiasts, there’s fishing, water-skiing and boat tours that follow the same route Lewis and Clark took in the early 1800s. July’s Last Chance Stampede and Fair, a rodeo, carnival and livestock exhibition is a highlight of the summer season. CORPS II, a week-long Lewis and Clark exhibition, is featured this July as well.
For these reasons, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the country's largest private, nonprofit preservation organization, today named Helena, Mont. to its 2005 list of America’s Dozen Distinctive Destinations, an annual list of unique and lovingly preserved communities in the United States. It was selected from nearly 80 destinations in 44 states that were nominated by individuals, preservation organizations and local communities.
“Helena has always been a place of inspiration – from the fortune seekers who came here in the late 1800s, to the visitors who are reinvigorated by this city’s majestic setting,” said Richard Moe, president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. “Even in its early days, Helena’s visionary citizens knew the city’s frontier heritage must be preserved. Today, visitors are reaping the benefits of that foresight.”
This is the sixth time the National Trust for Historic Preservation has announced a list of Dozen Distinctive Destinations. To date, there are 72 Dozen Distinctive Destinations located in 36 states throughout the country. To see a complete list, visit www.nationaltrust.org. In each community, residents have taken forceful action to protect their town’s character and sense of place. Whether by enacting a local preservation law to protect historic buildings against demolition, rewriting zoning codes to prevent commercial sprawl, removing regulatory barriers to downtown housing, enacting design standards, or taking some other major step that demonstrates a strong commitment to their town, residents have worked hard to preserve the historic and scenic assets of their communities, with rewards that transcend town limits.
The cities and towns on the 2005 list of America's Dozen Distinctive Destinations are:
Annapolis, Maryland (pop. 35,800): Home to the Naval Academy, Annapolis cherishes and celebrates its rich, proud history with a well-preserved cache of 18th century architecture and a charming harbor that invites both sailors and landlubbers to fall in love with this colonial capital.
Bath, Maine (pop. 10,000): Nestled along the sparkling Kennebec River, Bath is an old seafaring town, deemed one of the best small cities in America. A New England oil painting come to life, this compact, walkable community is known for its treasure trove of maritime history, historic buildings and rugged, scenic beaches.
Bisbee, Arizona (pop. 6,400): Once dubbed “Queen of the Copper Camps,” Bisbee was literally born overnight when precious metals were discovered in 1877 in this picturesque spot high in the Mule Mountains. Today, this thriving, eclectic community has been reborn as an arts center that pays homage to its mining heritage and Wild West roots.
Columbus, Indiana (pop. 39,000): Located in the center of a triangle formed by Cincinnati, Louisville and Indianapolis, Columbus has earned its reputation as a world-class center of contemporary architecture. Columbus entices visitors with its striking modern architecture and collection of public art, distinct wineries, shops, festivals and array of outdoor activities.
Dubuque, Iowa (pop. 58,000): Perched high on a limestone bluff above the mighty Mississippi, Dubuque is a charming and vibrant city known for its cache of Victorian mansions, breath-taking vistas and three centuries of river history.
Helena, Montana (pop. 26,500): Known for its pristine rivers, majestic mountains and wide-open spaces, Helena is a city of extraordinary beauty and history. The city’s proud past can be witnessed today in its spectacular 19th-century mansions, historic gold mining-era businesses and restored pioneer dwellings.
Jonesborough, Tennessee (pop. 4,200): In the heart of the spectacular Southern Appalachian mountains, Jonesborough is a small town with a big story. Jonesborough celebrates its rich history and culture with a beautifully preserved downtown and a number of highly respected celebrations including the annual National Storytelling Festival.
Key West, Florida (pop. 25,500): A tiny speck of land on the southernmost tip of Florida, Key West has a well-earned reputation as a tropical paradise with breathtaking sunsets, crystal clear waters and sultry nightlife. But architecture lovers gravitate to the island’s palm-lined streets and proudly preserved Spanish-Colonial mansions and tin-roofed conch houses.
Natchitoches, Louisiana (pop. 18,500): Established in 1714, this vibrant community is the oldest permanent settlement in the Louisiana Purchase. Natchitoches boasts a 33-block historic district, picture-book architecture and a variety of shops, restaurants, bed and breakfasts, tours and festivals that visitors are sure to enjoy.
New Braunfels, Texas (pop. 36,500): Founded in 1845 by German immigrants, New Braunfels offers genuine Lone Star hospitality, small-town spirit and a unique heritage that is celebrated year-round. New Braunfels boasts a variety of distinct activities that include Wurstfest, a “10-day salute to sausage” and Schlitterbahn, the top-rated water park in the nation.
Oak Park, Illinois (pop. 52,500): A diverse and dynamic town just nine miles outside Chicago, Oak Park is home to wide, leafy streets, quaint Victorian cottages and the world’s largest collection of Frank Lloyd Wright designed buildings and houses. Oak Park’s delightful setting – complete with world-class restaurants, boutiques and art galleries –provides the perfect escape.
Salem, Massachusetts (pop. 40,400): Most famously known for the witchcraft trials of 1692, Salem is also one of New England’s most colorful, coastal cities. Dubbed “America’s Bewitching Seaport,” Salem boasts a rich maritime heritage, an impressive display of historic architecture and nearly four centuries of history.
To obtain high resolution images of this year’s Dozen Distinctive Destinations, please contact the National Trust Office of Communications, 202-588-6141.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation is a private, nonprofit membership organization dedicated to protecting the irreplaceable. Recipient of the National Humanities Medal, the Trust provides leadership, education and advocacy to save America’s diverse historic places and revitalize communities. Its Washington, DC headquarters staff, six regional offices and 26 historic sites work with the Trust’s members and thousands of local community groups in all 50 states. For more information, visit the National Trust’s web site at www.nationaltrust.org.
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History is in Our Hands
1785 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20036
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February 27, 2006
State Business Tax Climate Index
by Curtis S. Dubay and Scott A. Hodge
Background Paper No. 51
Executive Summary
The Tax Foundation presents the 2006 version of the State Business Tax Climate Index (SBTCI) as a tool for lawmakers, the media, and individuals alike to gauge how their states’ tax systems compare. Policymakers can then use the SBTCI to pinpoint changes to their tax system that will explicitly improve their state’s standing in relation to competing states. American companies function at a competitive disadvantage in the global economy because they pay one of the highest corporate tax rates of any of the industrialized countries.
The top federal rate on corporate income is 35 percent, and states with punitive tax systems cause companies to be even less competitive globally. The modern market is characterized by mobile capital and labor. Therefore, companies will locate where they have the greatest competitive advantage. States with the best tax systems will be most competitive in attracting new businesses and be the most effective at generating economic and employment growth. Although the market is now global, the Department of Labor reports that most mass job relocations are from one U.S. state to another rather than to an overseas location. Certainly some jobs are moving overseas, and while state lawmakers are right to be concerned about how their states rank in the global competition for jobs and capital, states need to be more concerned with companies moving from Indianapolis, IN to Ithaca, NY, rather than Indianapolis to India. This means that state lawmakers must be aware of how their state’s business climate matches up to their immediate neighbors and to other states within their region.
Examples of companies choosing states due to favorable tax systems are plentiful. A recent example, from July 2005, is Intel’s decision to build a multi-billion dollar chip making facility in Arizona due to its favorable corporate income tax system. California struggles to retain businesses within its borders because Nevada provides a low tax alternative. Anecdotes such as these reinforce what we know from economic theory, that taxes matter to businesses, and those places with the most competitive tax systems will reap the benefits of business friendly tax climates.
A recent report from the Rockefeller Institute said that state tax revenues were 8.1 percent higher in the second quarter of 2005 than during the same period a year earlier. This, coupled with national data showing rising GDP and falling unemployment, tells the story of a strong economy. A return to budget surpluses could offer many state lawmakers the opportunity to reform their tax codes in order to make their state more attractive to domestic and foreign investment. State lawmakers are always tempted to lure business with lucrative tax incentives and subsidies. This can be a dangerous proposition, as a case in Florida illustrates. In July of 2004 Florida lawmakers cried foul because a major credit card company announced it would close its Tampa call center, lay off 1,110 workers, and outsource those jobs to another company. The reason for the lawmakers’ ire was that the company had been lured to Florida with a generous tax incentive package and had enjoyed nearly $3 million worth of tax breaks during the past nine years.
Lawmakers create these deals under the banner of job creation and economic development, but the truth is that if a state needs to offer such packages, it is most likely covering for a woeful business climate plagued by bad tax policy. A far more effective approach is to systematically improve the business climate for the long term so as to improve the state’s competitiveness as compared to other states. When assessing which changes to make, lawmakers need to remember these two rules:
- 1. Taxes matter to business. Taxes affect business decisions, job creation and retention, plant location, competitiveness, and the long-term health of a state’s economy. Most importantly, taxes diminish profits. If taxes take a larger portion of profits, that cost is passed along to either consumers (through higher prices), workers (through lower wages or fewer jobs), or shareholders (through lower dividends or share value). Thus a state with lower tax costs will be more attractive to business investment.
- 2. States do not enact tax changes (increases or cuts) in a vacuum. Every tax law will in some way change a state’s competitive position relative to its immediate neighbors, its geographic region, and even globally. Ultimately it will affect the state’s national standing as a place to live and to do business. Entrepreneurial states can take advantage of the tax increases of their neighbors to lure businesses out of high tax states.
Clearly, there are many non-tax factors that affect a state’s business climate: its proximity to raw materials or transportation centers, its regulatory or legal structures, the quality of its education system and the skill of its workforce, not to mention the intangible perception of a state’s “quality of life.” Some of these factors are, of course, outside of the control of elected officials. Montana lawmakers cannot change the fact that Montana’s businesses have no immediate access to deepwater ports. Lawmakers do, however, have direct control over how friendly their tax system is to business.
The ideal tax system—whether at the state, federal, or international level—is neutral to business activity. In such an ideal system, individuals and businesses would base their economic decisions solely on the merits of the transactions, without regard to tax implications. In reality, tax-induced economic distortions are a fact of life, and a more realistic goal is to maximize the occasions when businesses and individuals are guided by economics, and minimize those cases where economic decisions are micromanaged or even dictated by a tax system. Therefore, the most competitive tax systems, and the ones that score best in the SBTCI, are those that create the fewest distortions by enforcing the most simple tax system based on broad bases with low rates.
How much states collect in taxes is critical, but how they take it is also important. In other words, quite apart from whether a state’s total tax burden is higher than in other states, it can enact (and many states do) a set of tax laws that cause great damage to the economy. The SBTCI does not allow states with poor tax regimes to hide behind low tax burdens.
Good state tax systems levy low, flat rates on the broadest bases possible, and they treat all taxpayers the same. Variation in the tax treatment of different industries favors one economic activity or decision over another. The more riddled a tax system is with these politically motivated preferences the less likely it is that business decisions will be made in response to market forces. The SBTCI rewards those states that apply these principles in five important areas of taxation: individual income taxes, major business taxes, sales taxes, unemployment insurance taxes, and taxes on wealth or assets such as property.
The ten best states in the Tax Foundation’s 2006 State Business Tax Climate Index are as follows:
- 1. Wyoming
2. South Dakota
3. Alaska
4. Florida
5. Nevada
6. New Hampshire
7. Texas
8. Delaware
9. Montana
10. Oregon
The ten worst states in the SBTCI are as follows:
- 41. Arkansas
42. Iowa
43. Nebraska
44. Kentucky
45. Maine
46. Vermont
47. Ohio
48. Rhode Island
49. New Jersey
50. New York
(For more information about the State Business Tax Climate Index please contact William Ahern at (202) 464-5101.)
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