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    Who are the NERD fund donors Mr Snyder?

    Raise the curtain.

    Money for Dredging is a Problem?


    By Corinthian Scales, Section News
    Posted on Thu Mar 07, 2013 at 03:22:09 PM EST
    Tags: Hooray for Hollyweird?, Bill Ford, Silverdome, EFM, Pontiac, Crony Capitalism, That's Bulls#!t, Waterways, Harbors, Harbor of Refuge, Commerce, Littoral Property, Watercraft, registration fees, gas tax, Sales Tax, Tourism, Dredging, HB 4197, SB 0164, One Term Nerd (all tags)

    Consider this a double feature with CS, and Jarrett Skorup at Mac Center

    The Disney blockbuster "Oz: The Great and Powerful" opens tonight. The film cost the studio about $200 million to make, but Michigan taxpayers chipped in substantially for the production through the state's generous film subsidy program. In fact, the state paid more per taxpayer than the average price of a movie ticket - Michigan residents should be seeing the film for free.

    Michigan has 4.5 million individual taxpayers, and the state gave the film studio $39.7 million to shoot in Pontiac. That works out to a subsidy of $8.82 per taxpayer while average ticket prices nationwide are $7.96.

    The subsidy was granted in 2010 when the program refunded up to 42 percent of Michigan expenses to film makers - essentially a check from the treasury to Hollywood studios. The program expired, but the Legislature, dominated by Republicans, overwhelmingly decided to keep it around.

    Despite "conservatives" who claim to not like the government picking winners and losers and "liberals" who say government shouldn't benefit large corporations and big business, Michigan politicians continue to spend taxpayer money on the program. The state has budgeted $50 million  this year with political leaders on both sides of the aisle pushing for more.

    REST

    What total crap.  Lansing could only find a way to free up 29% of the monies for maintaining our waterways in comparison to what Hollywood ripped off on one movie filmed in a mismanaged broke-ass city with an EFM.  You read that right.  $11.5M, and STEALING $8.7M from projects already underway to pay for dredging.

    The Governerd's half billion dollar piggy bank?  Hands off.  Damn near $40M in our tax dollars sent to Disney with assets totaling $74.8 Billion?  No problem.  The Water Wonderland?  Take a hike.

    This is why politicians are despised.

    < Wish We'd Known This A Couple Of Weeks Ago | Levin no more >


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    Display: Sort:
    Fair enough to note however, (none / 0) (#1)
    by JGillman on Thu Mar 07, 2013 at 05:25:04 PM EST
    that Snyder wants to do away with the film credit.

    Though other EDC type activities (Read HIS Flavors of cronyism) are still sacred.

    Go and research (none / 0) (#3)
    by grannynanny on Thu Mar 07, 2013 at 07:39:21 PM EST
    the Michigan Waterways Commission and you will get your answer to crony capitalism.  Talk about a bunch of crooks!!!  And they do get a cut of highway gas taxes to boot.

    • True enough by Corinthian Scales, 03/08/2013 08:47:07 AM EST (none / 0)
      • The 20 years that by JGillman, 03/08/2013 08:56:36 AM EST (none / 0)
        • Yup by Corinthian Scales, 03/08/2013 10:05:17 AM EST (none / 0)
    Not trying to get too far off topic... (5.00 / 1) (#7)
    by KG One on Sat Mar 09, 2013 at 01:45:26 PM EST
    ...but "free art" isn't really free.

    Especially when those promoting it won't live up to their own signed agreements.

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