A combined federal and state effort to redesign the boondoggle-prone economic development program could also provide the blueprint for rebuilding devastated communities.

In practice, the law strongly favored builders over business owners with little benefit for lower-income residents, and arguably needs a major overhaul. Nonetheless, OZs have a powerful lobby and clearly are darlings in the White House now that it’s again occupied by a former property developer with friends and family prominently in that business. Influential proponents are licking their chops.