Dell will keep N.C. incentives

RALEIGH, N.C. - North Carolina's Supreme Court on Friday decided not to hear a challenge to financial incentives given to computer maker Dell Inc.

The N.C. Institute for Constitutional Law, a taxpayer advocacy group, had brought a lawsuit against Dell, the State of North Carolina and the City of Winston-Salem, claiming the incentives were unlawful. The suit was unsuccessful in the state Court of Appeals.

The General Assembly offered the incentives to Dell in 2004 on the condition that it create at least 1,500 jobs at its plant near Winston-Salem. The plant opened in the fall of 2005.

According to a report in the Winston-Salem Journal, Dell could receive $278 million in state incentives and $37.2 million from the local government.

The NCICL is also litigating against incentives given to Google for a new data center in Lenoir and tax breaks given to two tire companies, a WRAL report says.

"While we are disappointed by the Supreme Court's decision, we remain committed to enforcing constitutional limitations on government, including limits on government spending" said Jeanette Doran, senior staff attorney with the NCICL, in the report..