Michigan Town Woos Hollywood, but Ends Up With a Bit Part
By LOUISE STORY
New York Times
Published: December 3, 2012

Even the great and powerful Oz could not save the film studio that was supposed to save this town.

The studio, a state-of-the-art facility fit for Hollywood blockbusters, had risen from the ruins of a General Motors complex here. It was the brainchild of a small group of investors with big plans: the studio would attract prestigious filmmakers, and the movie productions would create jobs and pump money into the local economy. A glamorous sheen would rub off on this down-on-its-luck town.

But in Pontiac, happy endings do not usually come Hollywood-style. [read the rest of this article]
"Crony Capitalism - How Hollywood came to Pontiac", starring
  • the one-time wanna-be Hollywood starlet, turned machine politician, who made good in Lansing, Michigan
  • the well-connected brother of President Obama's chief-of-staff who also happens to be the co-Ceo of the world's largest and oldest talent agency and a recent "film studio investor"
  • the well-connected local entrepreneur, turned "film studio investor", with a charismatic personality who has a history of "accidental" fires at his office and home
  • the well-connected billionaire "shopping mall magnate", turned "film studio investor", who asked, "What happened to all the people?"
  • the well-connected millionaire "construction company executive", turned "film studio investor", who also happens to sit on the board of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation
  • the $630,000 taken from the state workers’ pension fund to guarantee the missed interest payments when the "film studio investors" defaulted on $18 million dollars worth of bonds