Detroit Can, Must Rise from the Ashes of Scandal

It would be easy to get overwhelmed by or pile on to the constant flow of negativity and uncertainty about our beloved city. We’ve definitely endured more than anyone deserves lately. But one of the many things that make this town worth fighting for is that we don’t concern ourselves with just looking for the easiest route.

Historically, globally, Detroit has had a well-earned reputation for being the place where you go to work. Thousands came here in years past to make a better life for their families through the sweat of their brow. Detroit was a city where you could still exists today. to Today the House and Senate Commerce Committees will meet in a joint hearing to debate a comprehensive package of bills that would establish incentives for the film industry to bring productions and jobs to Michigan. This is an issue I began working on during my time in the House, so I was pleased when the Governor made this a priority during her State of the State address this year. By hosting a joint meeting today, we hope to expedite this process and allow both chambers to work out the details more quickly.

The plan being discussed today includes a 40% tax rebate for production costs, an additional 2% production credit for expenditures in core communities and advance loans for the expected tax refund. These incentives would put Michigan in the director’s chair compared with what other states are currently offering.

Think about it, we all know our state has some of the most diverse and beautiful landscapes in the country. If you seek a pleasant shooting location, look about you. We have urban areas, beaches, farm land, forests and islands — practically any environment a filmmaker could imagine. With the right incentives we would be impossible to ignore. As the home of the American auto industry, Michigan has a strong background in commercial productions, which means we already have a solid infrastructure in place to accommodate larger projects. The industry’s strong ties to the labor community also bode well for our state, where film companies would have access to one of the most talented union workforces in America.

This plan also presents numerous long-term educational opportunities for our state’s workers. Michigan State University, the University of Michigan, Wayne State University and several community colleges across the state have budding film production programs that would greatly benefit from this initiative. Innovative film courses could attract talented students from all over the country and re-train workers with the skills they would need for production work.

The economic ripple effect of a television or movie production in the state could translate into hundreds of millions of dollars for local businesses, including hotels, restaurants, caterers and retail shops. Economically this plan makes smart fiscal sense because we will be carving out a new industry for our state that wouldn’t exist without these incentives. Film companies won’t get the tax breaks unless they agree to bring productions and jobs to Michigan.

Critics will point out that producers have already shown a willingness to re-locate projects as soon as another state rolls out a new set of incentives. However, we are confident that the legislation being considered today will be the most aggressive package in the country and difficult for other states to match.

Given the economic challenges Michigan is currently facing, we need to capitalize on our strengths and aggressively pursue innovative economic development solutions that make us a leader in the 21st Century economy. Luring the film industry to our state would be big step in the right direction.