MICHIGAN MOVIE INCENTIVES - COMPROMISE - PURE MICHIGAN

Did Governor Rick Snyder lie - or is he misunderstood...???

Mitch Albom, Free Press columnist, Jeff Daniels, movie star, have virtually called the new Governor a liar - because they claim he said he would not kill the Michigan Movie Incentives, that have brought in commercial development, jobs and an industry that can retain and attract creative 'cool' people to Michigan.

Michigan offers 42% tax incentive to movie, TV and gamerS who create in Michigan.
Most people would agree that it is way way to generous, but it has done the job of making Michigan a creative destination. The long list of top top movie / TV stars who have worked in Michigan speaks for itself.

Michigan needs to lead in tax incentives !!! to retain what we have and to continue to grow the industry.

Compromise is needed - a lower percentage for incentives - and a melding of the Pure Michigan advertising campaign. The $25 million budgeted for Pure Michigan should become film incentive money and a requirement that all movies / televison / video games that get incentives, MUST include at least - two (2) Pure Michigan commercials, in the front and end trailers of the production.

This would gaurantee Michigan is promoted in every movie theatre / television show that is shown, nationally and internationally. A good twofer...and a better distribution of Pure Michigan than it can get with its budget.

So start thinking and promoting this compromise...and contact the Governor and your legistalive member.

SUPER BOWL - UPDATE...General Motors / Doritos - NFL PRO BOWL, MICHIGAN BAND DAY

Update...The Black Eyed Peas, delivered a good Super Bowl half time shows - it was upbeat and entertaining...and the stage design didn't seem to exclude those behind the stage..I was disappointed with how the teams were brought onto the field after they were introduced - bland boring entrance - you get a better entrances at some hockey or basketball games - and this was the Super Bowl..

Chrysler deserves all the acclaim it is getting for its Eminem ad featuring Detroit as a background - this is what should be required on all movies, that get Michigan film subsidies - a Pure Michigan commercial at the beginning and end of all movies filmed in Michigan.

What was GM (General Motors)thinking with that insulting ad - about senior citizens being unable to hear a spokeswoman...very bad - and

Pervert - The Doritos ad that had a guy liking the Dorito crumbs off a co-workers finger and then pulling off another co-workers pants??? Deviant behavior isn't funny.

The NFL Pro Bowl - deserves to remain in Hawaii..but the NFL has to improve its entertainment value - how bad were the Goo Goo Dolls??? What was their entertainment interest - ZERO - ..the only entertaining portion of their dismal, boring set were the shots of Hawaiian drummers and dancers, who should have been featured in this game and all future Pro Bowl Games...

And Chris Allen??? How bland, wasted time was he - The choir behind him and the Hawaiian dancers should again have been featured and would have made a memorable impression and much better entertainment. And Chris Allen in white Tshirt?? too hot for him - he should have had on an Hawaiian shirt - if not given to him by the NFL or at least he should have had the common sense to buy or borrow one..

The Super Bowl - The Black Eyed Peas, what again??? singing their BOOM BOOM hits of long ago...David Brandon, said it cost the University of Michigan, one million dollars - to put on Band Day, in the 1970's, using local high school bands, but everyone was entertained and came away impressed - its time for the NFL to forego bad entertainment that caters to only the TV audience and create a memorable entertainment package to go along with their games.

GIFFORDS WHY? - REPUBLICAN - TEA PARTY - NRA - SARAH PALIN - TERROISTS??? - CLAIM, US REP GIFFORDS AND OTHERS

The assassination attempt of US Representative Gabrielle Giffords (D-Az), the death of US District Judge John Roll, the death of a nine (9) year Christina Taylor Green,the three other dead and twelve wounded - the blood is on the hands of those Republican Party, Tea Party and Sarah Palin whose - anti Obama, birther, anti health care, anti gun control, anti immigrant and anti big government rhetoric, laid the emotional ground work for assassin, Jared Loughner, to develop and nurse his hatered and to form a rational for the shootings.

Dozens and perhaps hundreds of US citizens have been give the green light to hate - to feel that picking up a gun and killing those people who disagree with them is 'doing the right thing' because of the leadership and direction of the Republican Party, Tea Party and its chief bad mouth, unintelligent and wrong Sarah Palin, aided by the Glen Beck's, Shawn Hannity's, and others who lost the ability for rational discussion and logic.

Sarah Palin put a gun sight - a cross hair, on Giffords and other Democrats she wanted to defeat - an encouragement for the gun lovers to take up guns against their governmental leaders ( a terrorist act???) and Giffords opponent Jesse Kelly, held a fundraiser, at a SHOOTING RANGE, with M-16 assault weapons - asking HELP to remove Giffords from office (a terrorist act???).

The Republican Party, who controls the US House of Representatives, and a majority of State Governorships and the National Rifle Association (NRA), should support, as a priority, in the name of Christian Taylor Green and Rep Gabrielle Giffords, an ANTI ASSAULT WEAPONS BILL to ban the sale, manufacture, and distribution of all assault weapons, and place stronger restrictions on purchase of semi automatic weapons and require 40 hours of gun use training, (assault weapons and handguns are being bought and smuggled to Mexico - causing over 25,000 deaths) and a ban on all extended magazines for semi automatic weapons, which together with assault weapons are killing American citizens, unnecessarily.

Republicans, Tea Party memebers and above all Sarah Palin, will deny any responsibility for the deaths and injuries of this act - by a crazed gun man - but how much death could have been avoided if he didnt have the gun, and we had intelligent leaders and intelligent honest discourse on our policy differences.

But, the question is - Is Sarah Palin and Jesse Kelly - terrorist??? - did they not implicitly encourage the assasination of Gabrielle Giffords, a member of the US Congress. Did their imagery convey encouragement to those to take up guns against a member of Congress...???? I say - Yes...

Ps..An Arizona public official has now said "it is easier to get a gun (in AZ)than a drivers license" that is wrong and ludicrous !!

Arizona should NOW be the leading state to REPEAL all open carry pistol / rifle (except hunting) laws - and make stonger gun educational requirements for concealed weapons laws - leading the nation to a saner gun control laws.

The NRA has already mounted a campaign to condemn those who want stronger more effective gun laws - blaming those 'who attempt to exploit this situation (Giffords shooting)' - after John Kennedy, Robert Kennedy, Marting Luther King, Jim Brady etc, there were calls for stronger more effective gun laws - the Giffords shooting is no different - The National Rifle Association is a dangerous anti American organization that prevents and stymies effective and sane gun laws. Now is the time to stand up against the NRA. We must save US residents and Mexican lives.

ED DEEB - WRONG, MICHIGAN, NO SMOKING IS THE LAW.

MERRY CHRISTMAS...HAPPY HOLIDAYS...HAPPY NEW YEARS EVE????

Ed Deeb, of the Michigan Business and Professional Assoc, is WRONG for pushing to make it acceptable for restaurants, taverns and bars to allow smoking on New Years Eve. It is now illegal.

It is not a matter of choice - it is the law, for him to promote this unhealthy and dangerous activity that has been outlawed, shows that he has no concern for the public or its health. If a person can't stop smoking for a few hours when out in public places - they have a serious problem - that isn't going to be cured or appeased by smoking more.

Residents who observe smoking in restaurants, taverns or bars - should ask the manager to stop the smoking...if not they should call the police /and or report
violations to the Dept of Health or Michigan Liquor Control Commission...

Email him: info@michbusiness.org or call: 888 277 6464 and tell him - He is Wrong

Ps: Michigan residents got the long end of the bill - with the new law that allows Sunday liqour sales - $160. for a license, is a license to get rich - at the expense of the taxpayers. The $160. fee, doesn't cover the expenses of MLCC or local police inspections or enforcement, and was too low for restaurants, taverns bars etc - who are going to reap / make thousands and thousands of dollars with the new hours.

DETROIT CITY WORKS - DOWNSIZE THE CITY COUNCIL - FIRST

DETROIT WORKS PROJECT - (Mayor Bing's proposal to consolidate neighborhoods) will go nowhere with the current City Council - because they don't know how to 'do the right thing'...they want to expand the Council - under the new Charter, being written.

Detroit has lost over 600,000 residents to less than 900,000 people and still dropping -

The Council and the Mayor should come together to DOWNSIZE the City Council to five (5)..that's right to five, to make the Council more effective, efficient and ethical.
And by reducing the Council - you get a corresponding reduction in the Council budget. The current Council budget for staff - should be reduced - now.

Detroiters deserve better than what they are getting from this Council - any Council member who supports an expanded Council, should resign their job / and or be recalled.

ps: In Detroit electing Council by districts will lead to Corruption, downsize the Council now - and as Detroit is revitalized and people begin to move in - then consider expanding the Council - it probably will be time to revise the City Charter - then.

MICHIGAN WARNING - DRIC / AMBASSODOR BRIDGE

WARNING TO MICHIGAN GOVERNOR, LEGISLATORS - US SENATORS AND REPRESENTATIVES !!

The BLUE WATER BRIDGE is closed - and has been for a couple of days due to snow and ice - all trucks are standing bye on the Canadian 402 highway or been re-routed to the Ambassador Bridge, in Detroit, which is causing long long long backups on I-75 and caused the closing of an auto plant in Flint, because of a parts shortage.

Detroit, Michigan, and the country needs the Detroit River International Crossing (DRIC) and needs the twin Ambassador Bridge (because of age) eventually the original Ambassador Bridge will need to be closed and demolished, leaving Michigan and Ontario with only two bridges to handle vehicle and truck international traffic. If Maroun can build his bridge without public funds and get Canadian approval - let him.

There should be NO more delays..the Blue Water Bridge closing is a early WARNING of things that can happen to the Ambassador Bridge, which has no backup..

The DRIC and Ambassador Bridge are too important to Michigan, Canada and the USA to delay because of petty bickering or be influenced by campaign money.

The Governor and Legislature should come together and get the DRIC approved in the first week of the new Legislative session - NO delays NO excuses...

DETROIT MAYOR BING - WRONG DELUSIONAL - RESIDENCY

Detroit Mayor Dave Bing is thinking of ways to restore residency for public safety employees, police, fire, ems - he is wasting his time - that shipped has sailed, that train has left the station. State Law and Detroit's failure to include that demand in ACT 312 negotiations over 10 years ago - and the mass exodus of black and white police officers, firefighters and EMS techs should have shown the Mayor the truth about Detroit - its unsafe for City employees and their families, to live in Detroit.

Police Officers are especially vunerable to living and working in Detroit, because if they take police action - their families maybe endangered. If they lived in a neighborhood - their neighbors knew it - and so did the criminal element. Their neighbors would expect the 'neighborhood' police officer to help solve neighborhood problems - placing police officers families in danger if they helped or didnt help.

Detroit Police Officers - black and white - fled the City because it was unsafe for their families and because the Detroit School System is such a complete failure. Any reasonable person who has the means and the ability to move out of Detroit will do so to protect their families, and police officers were most vunerable.

Mayor Bing should concentrate on raising the standards for police applicants - raise the minimun hiring age to 21, raise the educational requirement to two (2) years of college (AA degree), and stricter criminal and driving background checks.

Bing should also, make sure the police and fire departments have better equipment - police officers should not be driving cars with 100,000 miles, with non working radios, sirens, and emergency lights. They shouldn't have to jump start their cars to begin patrol.

Bing should make police officers welcome in the City and should stand behind them - with good pay and support.

Bing should demand the Detroit Public School Board hold itself to a higher standard and demand that it work with Robert Bobb to improve the school system.

Public safety employees will move back to the City when its streets are safe and its school system educates its students by national standards - not before and they should not be asked or required too.