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Michigan Tea Party Scorecard - Corporate Welfare 2013

Created by rhamman

This is an extract of corporate welfare bills from the Michigan Tea Party Scorecard. Corporate Welfare provides taxpayer dollars to private companies through tax breaks, loans and outright grants. While theoretically well intentioned, in reality it is cronyism, and generally provides poor or abysmal results. While the film and "green energy" subsidies get the most publicity, there are many, many more examples. Given the opportunity for abuse and the history of abysmal results, we strongly oppose this practice, but do support lowering taxes for all businesses, not just a favored few. This is a public service of Independents for Responsible Government and is updated quarterly. More details are available at www.watchingmichigan.com

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Senate Bill 123: SB 123 - Expand convention facility authorities
Allows borrowing and spending more to develop a "sports facility" in Grand Rapids - borrowing and spending for corporate welfare
   • House Roll Call 89 on April 23, 2013.
   • Senate Roll Call on April 17, 2013.

Senate Bill 271: SB 271 - Revise developer subsidy regime
Increase the maximum "community revitalization" subsidy to any one developer from $1M to $2.5M. Also eliminate some restrictions on how funds can be spent and make reporting less transparent.
   • Senate Roll Call 266 on June 13, 2013.

Senate Bill 272: SB 272 - Developer "port facility" subsidies
Expand the mission of the Michigan Strategic Fund to include providing undefined subsidies for corporations, developers and other entities involved in port facilities.
   • Senate Roll Call 267 on June 13, 2013.

Senate Bill 347: SB 347 - Expand MSHDA Developer Subsidies
Authorize MSHDA to use reserve funds to invest in private companies purchasing multifamily housing projects
   • House Roll Call 283 on September 12, 2013.
   • Senate Roll Call 351 on September 17, 2013.

Senate Bill 257: SB 257 - Expand Business Improvement Zones
Broaden the authority of Business Improvement Zones - longer lifetime, easier to impose, more difficult to disband. These zones have the ability to tax property owners in a "zone" for mandated improvement projects
   • House Roll Call 284 on September 12, 2013.
   • Senate Roll Call 356 on September 18, 2013.

Senate Bill 397: SB 397 - Expand Corporate Subsidy
Create a 6th “Next Michigan Development Corporation,” which is a government agency that gives tax breaks and subsidies to particular corporations or developers selected by political appointees
   • Senate Roll Call 374 on September 26, 2013.

Senate Bill 269: SB 269 - Extend corporate welfare
Extend 2019 an annual $75 million earmark to a “21st Century Jobs Fund” created by Gov Granholm, which provides subsidies to firms or industries chosen by a board of political appointees.
   • Senate Roll Call 478 on October 31, 2013.

Senate Bill 553: SB 553 - Extend specific "Renaissance Zone"
Eight year extension of the extensive tax breaks granted to residents and businesses in a particular "renaissance zone" located in Saginaw County. This is in addition to a previous seven-year extension.
   • Senate Roll Call 480 on October 31, 2013.

House Bill 4782: HB 4782 - Expand Corporate Welfare
Create a sixth “Next Michigan Development Corporation,” a government agency that gives tax breaks and subsidies to particular corporations or developers selected by political appointees
   • House Roll Call 504 on December 12, 2013.
   • Senate Roll Call 590 on December 11, 2013.

This user-created scorecard is available at https://www.michiganvotes.org/VotingIndex.aspx?ID=859.

DISCLAIMER: Scorecards are user-created and do not represent the views of Michigan Votes or the Mackinac Center for Public Policy.
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