Michigan Lawmakers Fail to Answer Questions About Film Subsidy Transparency

Michigan Capitol Confidential ^ | 6/12/2010 | Kathy Hoekstra

[MichCapCon]

A rather blistering May 16 Livingston Daily editorial asked a few simple questions of three state lawmakers about the Michigan Film Incentive and how well it's working. Two of the legislators responded in a guest column Sunday, arguably dodging the real questions raised in the original editorial and putting up a weak defense of the two-year-old subsidy program.

The questions, as posed in the letter-style editorial, titled "Dear lawmakers: What can you tell us about film money?" appear common-sense, especially as they related to a production that took place in Livingston County...

[Lakeshark]

Michigan ping!

[Lockbar]

Fat Az Micheal Moore gets all the help?

[stefanbatory]

Don’t forget about Escanaba in da Moonlight!

[cripplecreek]

They’re gonna put me in the movies
They’re gonna make a big star out of me
We’ll make a film about a man that’s broke and homeless
And all I have to do is act naturally

[grellis]

If you would like to be added or dropped from the Michigan ping list, please freepmail me.

[cripplecreek]

What he said before getting the subsidy.

>>”Why do they need our money, from Michigan, from our taxpayers, when we’re already broke here?” Moore asked at the Traverse City event. “I mean, they play one state against another, and so they get all this free cash when they’re making billions already in profits. What’s the thinking behind that?”<<

http://www.mlive.com/news/flint/index.ssf/2010/01/mackinac_center_michael_moore.html

[grellis]

The article does a poor job explaining the spreadsheet that it shows. What exactly are we looking at? Take Red Dawn, for example: Salary expenditures are listed in the neighborhood of $26 mil. Is that what the state put forth in salaries, or the production company? What about the nearly $7 mil in services? Did the state provide $7 mil in services, or did production generate that amount in service usage?

This is why I really really REALLY wish that there were a separate ping list for these blog pieces. Too much information missing. This doesn't rise to the level of news. This is an opinion piece. It's interesting. Not news.

So how are you coming with that ping list, anyway?

[PGalt]

Great post! HOORAY Kathy Hoekstra! Thanks for the ping, grellis. BTTT!

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks grellis.