Matt Maddock, a Michigan state representative, posted a series of tweets on March 15, 2026, criticizing corporate welfare programs and their impact in Lansing and across Michigan.
In his first tweet at 11:53 a.m., Maddock stated, “Corporate welfare is the most immoral thing in Lansing because it raises so much money in kickbacks.”
Shortly after, at 12:06 p.m., he further criticized the Michigan SOAR program by writing, “Michigan ‘SOAR’ is a corporate welfare organized crime operation and taxpayers gave @gm, @Ford, Dow, Gotion, Detroit Diesel and many others 2 BILLION to create 9,000 jobs and we got zero jobs. Greedy lying GM in particular stole 666 million.” Maddock’s comments reflect ongoing debates over large-scale economic incentive packages provided by the state to major corporations.
Later that morning at 12:25 p.m., Maddock commented on education policy with another post: “I love charts but every chart about what @MichiganDems have done to Michigan education is so hard to look at”.
The SOAR (Strategic Outreach and Attraction Reserve) fund was established by Michigan lawmakers as an incentive program aimed at attracting business investments and creating jobs. The program has been subject to scrutiny regarding its effectiveness and transparency. Critics have questioned whether the funds allocated through SOAR have delivered promised job creation or primarily benefited large corporations.
Debates over public funding for private enterprises are longstanding in Michigan politics. Supporters argue such incentives are necessary for economic development and competitiveness with other states. Opponents contend that these measures can lead to misuse of taxpayer money without clear returns for residents.
