Tag: HB 4197

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.

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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.

Detroit News

The state Senate is considering taking $30 million from Michigan's rainy day fund for emergency dredging of harbors and waterways this year to relieve shallows that threaten the state's boating industry as a result of historic low levels in the Great Lakes.

That proposal was unveiled Tuesday as part of a broader set of options for dealing long-term with the recurring need to dredge the state's 90 recreational harbors that cater to recreational boating. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers use federal funds to maintain appropriate depths in commercial harbors handing 100 million or more tons of cargo per year.

Lawmakers portrayed it as a quicker and more robust alternative to Gov. Rick Snyder's call for $22 million in emergency funds that would be used to address the problem in the current budget and $8 million the following year. That was included in the governor's budget plan.

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The article goes on to state that MDOT's budget may be tapped.  Perhaps, that's not out of the question considering how many boats I see filling up at gas stations paying road tax.  Well, at least the ones not using Rec Gas, and Off-road Diesel like I do, anyway.  Better question is where in the Hell has all the registration fee monies gone?  Has anyone actually sat down and looked at the Watercraft Fee Schedule?  It's got-damn obscene.  Add insult to injury, the article glosses over reviving a local tax grab scheme too.

"Everything is on the table," said state Sen. Geoff Hansen, R-Hart, who is taking the lead in the effort.