Apple is reportedly rethinking its expansion plans in Austin, Texas, having grown upset with what it considers are unnecessary delays in getting economic incentives approved that it had wanted. Officials in liberal Travis County had, among other things, proposed that Apple hire a certain percentage of "economically disadvantaged" local residents in exchange for giving Apple millions of dollars in tax breaks. ( See: Dems to Apple: Hire the 'economically disadvantaged') Now, the hi-tech giant has apparently realized that Austin and Travis County are not as business friendly as the rest of Texas. As the Austin-American Statesman reports: Apple Inc.'s plan to bring 3,600 new jobs to Austin is "in peril" and the giant computer company is growing frustrated with delays in approving an incentives deal by the Travis County Commissioners Court, according to one of the key players in the local recruitment of the company. Dave Porter, senior vice president for economic...(Read Full Post)