For Immediate Release
Wednesday, May 20, 2015

Contact:
Dan Armstrong
Director of Marketing and Communications
989-698-1917

LANSING, Mich. – Sixty-six percent of respondents to a joint poll conducted by the Michigan Chamber of Commerce and the Mackinac Center for Public Policy said they would support redirecting Michigan’s $50 million annual film subsidy to fixing the roads. Forty-eight percent said they strongly support the idea while only 25 percent said they were opposed.
 
“Clearly, Michigan voters recognize the benefit of reprioritizing existing resources to fix the roads,” said Michigan Chamber President & CEO Rich Studley. “This costly and ineffective film subsidy is not creating full-time, permanent jobs for Michigan residents and is a waste of taxpayer dollars.”
 
When asked if Michigan’s $50 million film subsidy should be continued or stopped altogether, without regard to road funding, an overwhelming majority of respondents – 60 percent to 29 percent – said the state should end the program.
 
“Despite all the glitz and glam of Hollywood and the positive press productions have received, voters are largely unimpressed with the program,” noted Mackinac Center for Public Policy President Joseph G. Lehman. “Lansing lawmakers have a real opportunity here to ensure that good policy makes for good politics.”
 
“If this polling data shows anything it is that lawmakers have an opportunity to reprioritize a low value expenditure (film subsidies) into a higher one (road improvements),” said Studley. “It’s time for legislators to place a higher priority on Michigan’s taxpayers and get the job done on fixing the roads.”