'Incentivize,' 'Incent,' or Neither?

Some discussion here. My sense of style suggests the avoidance of both.

Example:  "When was the last time Democrat, or Republican, tax hikes balanced the budget instead of merely incenting even more government spending?"

Language is fun even in cases in which it doesn't much matter, as here.  In politics, however, it matters greatly: he who controls the language controls the debate.