Tie 'twixt Stephens and grant reviewed
But Lampropoulos, Stephens and state officials who handle the taxpayer-funded Industrial Assistance Fund say Stephens did not lobby the Board of Business and Economic Development members, who approve IAF grants, on Merit's behalf.
In addition, Lampropoulos denounced as unjustified complaints that he's getting taxpayer money for jobs that he'd already publicly committed to last year.
The two apparent coincidences Stephens' hiring two months before the grant was awarded last week and the question of grant money going for jobs that appeared to already be on the way have raised some eyebrows on Capitol Hill.
In December 2004, Lampropoulos, Merit's CEO, board chairman and largest stockholder, announced that the firm was constructing a new 180,000-square-foot expansion to its current South Jordan company headquarters, creating "300 to 500" new jobs. At that time, Stephens and Lampropoulos were both vying for the GOP gubernatorial nomination. They were knocked out of the race in the May state GOP convention.
While the grant was primarily given to bring Merit jobs from California to Utah, Lampropoulos confirms that some new employees earmarked for the new facility, not transferred from a Santa Clara operation, could now qualify for the tax incentives.
"But who knows if those jobs were really coming?" Lampropoulos said Tuesday in a telephone interview from Atlanta, where he and Stephens, executive vice president of Merit's business development program, were scouting new business opportunities.
The December press release was accurate at the time, said Lampropoulos. But changing business opportunities have given Merit many alternatives, including moving current employees housed in a Murray facility to the new South Jordan building, he said.
Barbara Zimonja, chairwoman of the Board of Business and Economic Development's grant application review subcommittee, says the Merit grant was specifically written to provide more state money for the California-transfer jobs than for any other new jobs created by Merit in Utah. "We incentified them" to get the California jobs, she said.
Board member Dell Loy Hansen said, "Sixty to 70 percent of the jobs Merit has wouldn't qualify for the compensation" in any case because they don't pay at least 125 percent of Salt Lake County's medium income, a prime condition of the grant.
"Remember," said Lampropoulos, "we don't get paid a dime (from the state's grant) unless we really do create new jobs here not just move existing jobs around within (Utah). I commend the (IAF) for providing these job creation grants to a growing Utah company. It's partly our money Merit pays taxes in this state."
Comments
- Spongebob still in shape 3:54 p.m.
- Steroid tests yield few positives 3:53 p.m.
- CEU biz team excels at convention 3:35 p.m.
- Shelter works to save pit bulls 3:34 p.m.
- Cashing checks costly for woman 3:33 p.m.
- Blood thinner Effient cleared 3:27 p.m.
- WGU grads are largest-ever class 3:26 p.m.
- Dems: tax the rich for health care 3:24 p.m.
- HBO defends U. logo use in 'Love' 3:06 p.m.
- Hill Cumorah Pageant 3:04 p.m.
- Jazz talking Boozer trade?
- LDS seminary principal arrested
- Stadium of Fire flag burning was fake
- Reactions on Boozer speculation
- Jazz in back of line for free agents
- A primer for the 6th Potter film
- Okur signs two-year extension
- Jazz won't meet Lopez on Europe trip
- Restaurant destroyed by fire
- Mall owner seeks to retain zoning
- Bronco collecting a galaxy of recruits
141 - Letters: Palin mistreated
140 - Teachers struggle with district cuts
137 - Jazz talking Boozer trade?
132 - Blazers may offer Millsap a contract
123 - Stadium of Fire flag burning was fake
88 - LDS seminary principal arrested
83 - Moon landing: Let's hear from you
82 - Fairness of BCS debated
81 - Chaffetz eyes challenging Bennett
74
As more and more dads are put out of work in this economy, I've been...
The photographs are mysterious, brooding, dark. They show dimples and...
in tax dollars returned to states per 2005 results Amount Returned to...
Sing it libs: Unilateral diarmament, abortion on demand take all of the...
The private Health industry is unethical as its practices has failed at...
TO - @Anonymous 11:55 | 1:05 p.m ["no one with "common sense" believes...
I think the jazz should commit to that trade because we need someone who can...
Another Mormon DOG! Where religion assumes woman are for men and for the taking.
I was told as a boy that you can only take the sacrament with your right hand...
I sense a little jealousy.
Cohen can do no wrong. I am greatly looking forward to this!
...go steal them back from the person you sold them to, return them to Tom...


You can be the first to comment on this story.