Evidence? We Don’t Need No Stinkin’ Evidence, Imply Tourism Officials [Michigan Capitol Confidential]

Evidence? We Don’t Need No Stinkin’ Evidence, Imply Tourism Officials [Michigan Capitol Confidential]:
"National Travel and Tourism Week starts May 7.
It’s an ideal time to remind taxpayers, voters and lawmakers that the state of Michigan spends $34 million each year on a program to promote tourism. 
Unfortunately, the program, called Pure Michigan, is demonstrably ineffective and wasteful. 
Both the state government and the private trade association for the tourism industry make poorly supported claims on its behalf.
A recent statement by tourism lobbyist Deanna Richeson about the Mackinac Center’s research is particularly shameful.
Deanna Richeson of the Michigan Lodging and Tourism Association emailed out a “Grassroots Alert!” last March asking recipients to “Tell Your Legislator to Protect Pure Michigan!”
It claimed that “Pure Michigan funding is at risk” and that risk was “[f]ueled by misinformation from a study by a far right think tank that has already been discredited.”
I am the co-author of a recent study on state tourism promotion — the only recent, critical analysis of such I’m aware of in the country — so I was curious about Richeson’s claim that our work had been discredited.
Starting on April 18, I used email, fax, the postal service and telephone to reach out to her to ask for supporting evidence of her assertion.
I have not received a response..."
Read on!!