North Carolina's media has apparently been whipped up into a frenzy over recent disclosures that Lenoir officials granted Google US$250,000 million in tax breaks, twice the amount originally revealed (see Google plans data center in North Carolina worth up to US$600 million, 22 January for original story, ZDTweb.com).
Unconfirmed reports in the Charlotte Observer, also suggest that state officials acted on behalf of the internet search engine to encourage residents to sell their property to make way for facility.
In the face of mounting public pressure, and further press expos├®, North Carolina's Senate Finance Committee is hastily arranging hearings on the state's use of tax incentives to lure businesses.
According to the New & Observer, the Google deal could become one of the richest incentives deal in state history, depending on how much the Internet search engine firm invests.