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Brigade To Write Letters, Save MI Film Incentives

DETROIT (WWJ) - The film industry says Michigan will lose a multi-million dollar business unless it re-instates lucrative tax incentives to land more film projects and keep studios, actors and crew-members working.

While Governor Rick Snyder seems to have made up his mind, Actor Tiren James, whose recent credits include "Detroit 1-8-7," said it is an industry worth keeping.

"For every dollar Lansing puts out to help us in the film community via the film incentive, $6 of economic activity are generated within Michigan. So we get a six-to-one return on the investment for our state," James said.

In response, members of Michigan's entertainment industry are putting pen to paper, for a letter-writing campaign to save the state's film incentives.

People in the entertainment business have organized a "brigade" to write and deliver letters to lawmakers and to instruct constituents on how to meet with elected officials.

James said letters and face-to-face meetings with lawmakers will be most effective as the House and Senate decide whether to go along with Governor Snyder's plan to cut tax breaks for movies made in Michigan.

"We hope to have hundreds if not thousands of letters, that Wednesday morning we are going to drive to Lansing to give to them, to show our stories," James said. "To show how the film incentive is making a great, positive impact of our fine state of Michigan."

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