During my time in the Michigan House I was privileged to work on a tax incentive that brought the movie industry to Michigan.  The end result was a 42 cent return on a dollar for investing in Michigan and using Michigan labor.  But there is so much more that needs to be done to grow Michigan's economy.  We have to be focused on structured tax incentives that will help foster new industries to locate in Michigan and bring tax revenue to our State.  There is a structural problem in Michigan that we have to fix now.

What we do wrong and right:
•    For too long we relied on one infrastructure to support our economy.
•    We need to bring in more industries to promote growth and nationwide competition.
•    We must be willing to change to keep up with our competition.

How to capitalize on the region:
•    Use vacant property and abandoned buildings to bring in new industries. Use the land that we have by retrofitting it.
•    Turn some land into production studios.
•    Bring more retail and grocery stores into the city. Make Detroit a one-stop-shop. We should not have to venture out to the suburbs to get things that Detroit does not provide.

I’m proud to have worked on a plan that brought the movie industry to Michigan, creating ample jobs opportunities statewide; however, we must do more to ensure this opportunity is being utilized properly: We created a new industry by bringing the movie business here but we need to build an entire infrastructure to keep it here and lucrative for Detroit’s residents and businesses.
•    We must create workforce training for cinematography and other production and technical job opportunities, such as sound effects, lighting, sound, costumes/makeup/wardrobe.
•    Create incentives to locate the classes, jobs and resources in the City of Detroit.  
•    Offer courses and resources in other marketable skills for the film industry such as casting, catering, transportation, and hospitality.