[CPEO-BIF] Michigan stretches brownfields law for race track

[Lenny Siegel <lennysiegel@gmail.com>]

State Officials 'Stretch' the Law to Award Special Tax Deal to Troubled 
Business

By Tom Gantert
Mackinac Center Alternatives (MI)
October 4, 2010


Officials from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation - the 
state's flagship economic development agency - changed their mind about 
not giving a now-financially troubled race track millions in tax 
subsidies. This came after an original rejection of the deal by the MEDC 
led to queries from top Wayne County executives and the governor's office.

In 2008, Pinnacle Race Track officials said in documents that tax 
subsidies called "brownfields" were "critical" to the completion of the 
race track. The MEDC touted the project as a tourist attraction that 
would bring thousands of jobs, lure tourists from surrounding states and 
Canada, and generate millions in tax revenue.

...

"Mark, is not the core issue here the fact that this investment will 
happen no matter what the state does," Epolito wrote. "Then, the fact 
that this site does not qualify as a Brownfield! Period! Finally, we 
will all be highly scrutinized and criticized for stretching BF law for 
incenting horse race gambling? Is there another tool? This is not a 
Brownfield, period."


...

For the entire article, see
http://www.michigancapitolconfidential.com/13660

--


Lenny Siegel
Executive Director, Center for Public Environmental Oversight
a project of the Pacific Studies Center
278-A Hope St., Mountain View, CA 94041
Voice: 650/961-8918 or 650/969-1545
Fax: 650/961-8918
<lsiegel@cpeo.org>
http://www.cpeo.org



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