Lansing, MI – In case you needed a reminder why blindly handing over millions of tax dollars to for-profit businesses was a bad idea, we have two new reminders for you.
Over the weekend, two stories were released highlighting for-profit businesses that were awarded taxpayer-funded handouts during the Democrat trifecta under the promise of new and improved housing availability. But fast forward to today, and both projects have concerning red flags. The taxpayer-funded handouts include:
- $5 million towards the redevelopment of a vacant Southfield hotel, $1.6 million of which was used to pay late property taxes. Despite the grant, the property has fallen into receivership and is set to be sold later this year.
- $2 million towards reviving a Dewitt Township mobile home park. Fast forward to today, and the park is still in dire conditions, water is shut off, and residents have been told to vacate with a 4-day notice.
Under the new leadership of House Republicans, legislators must now publicly disclose earmark requests to ensure they are properly vetted by the legislature and the public.
“Last term’s Democrat trifecta blindly threw billions of dollars at pork projects with zero oversight or transparency, wasting our tax dollars while neglecting the basics like our roads and our schools. Thanks to the leadership of House Republicans, we now have more accountability in government spending to ensure less waste, more efficiency, and more bang for our buck,” said Zach Rudat, Advocacy Director for Michigan Freedom Fund. “Blindly throwing tax dollars at our housing crisis won’t solve anything. If Lansing really wants to address our housing shortage, they should cut red tape and lower the cost of housing for everyone.”
If Lansing reins in out-of-control regulations, we could see housing costs drop by nearly 23% for everyone.
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