Chris Hoene is executive director of the California Budget Project. Prior to joining the CBP, he was director of the Center for Research & Innovation at the National League of Cities in Washington, DC, leading efforts to analyze trends in local and state government and promote constructive policy action on issues including public finance, economic development, governance, housing, sustainability, and infrastructure. Mr. Hoene previously worked for the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities and the Public Policy Institute of California. In 2010, he was inducted as a fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration for his service and expertise in the areas of public policy and government. Mr. Hoene holds a Ph.D. in political science from Claremont Graduate University and a bachelor’s degree in political science from the College of Idaho.

Report: Dollar for Dollar, California’s Enterprise Zone Program Falls Short

by Chris Hoene

Chris Hoene

As deliberations over the 2013-14 state budget continue, one key issue under discussion is the future of California's Enterprise Zone (EZ) Program. This program was created nearly 30 years ago to promote business development and job creation in economically distressed areas, but independent studies have questioned the effectiveness of EZ tax breaks in achieving their goals — even as program costs have skyrocketed.

A new California Budget Project report on the EZ Program examines the growing cost to the state of the EZ tax breaks, looks at who receives these breaks, and discusses current proposals to reform the EZ Program, including those contained in Governor Brown's May Revision of his proposed 2013-14 budget.