http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/index.ssf?/base/money-0/111492730791150.xml Give me a break...We have people from Joe Pantoliano to the Hollywood Reporter's editorial staff turning backflips over our burgeoning movie industry...Hell, we have a major motion picture named, "Panama City Police" that's going to be filmed here (Since when does that kind of stuff happen?)!!!!! Now, we have her idiotic supporters thinking we'll "close the budget gap" by taking back some of these credits and not "giving away the store". What lunacy! These people won't just start paying more to the state or accept getting less tax credits...They'll move their production companies and location shoots to Texas, Mississippi, and Florida, where similar tax incentive bills are winding their way through state assemblies and legislatures! We take two steps forward, begin to create a thriving new avenue of economic development previously not even contemplated as more than an afterthought in its industry, and now Blanco and her idiotic ilk are out to destroy it and think inside the box while drying up future possibilities... Nice job, Kathy...Kill off our brand new movie industry, and totally sidestep the charity hospital situation, while focusing on making the Saints open up their books...Oh yeah, don't forget about bald-faced lying to Bishop Ott and the New Orleans diocese while leaving over 1,500+ kids to wither away and die academically in the Orleans Parish Public School System in order to fulfill campaign promises to others... Nice job...
All you've got to do is to look at the first thing she did as governor. During the campaign, she was basically backed into a corner and made the promise that she would change the tax structure so that Louisiana can FINALLY compete with neighboring states for business. We had lost so much business because of our Franchise Tax and our inability to negotiated tax breaks, incentives, BUILDING NEW FACILITIES, etc. We lost an autoplant to Alabama because Alabama not only negotiated a favorable tax base for the company, but also put up a large chunk of money to build the plant (SOUND FAMILIAR BENSON HATERS?). So, she SWEARS she'll address the tax base. What does she do? She changes the law so that Louisiana can be competative. THE CATCH? It doesn't go into effect FOR EIGHT FREAKIN YEARS. So, her "budgets" don't have to take the initial hit so that we can attract new businesses IN THE FUTURE. It's all about the short term and Blank-Ho buying the vote of the inept Teacher's Union rather than trying to do something for the long-term good of the state. THE B!TCH HAS TO GO!!!
So what is Louisiana's real financial return from these movie productions? The article suggests Louisiana gave $95 million in incentive credits and have gained only $60 million in movie-related salaries. That doesn't sound right. Taxpayers want the movie industry to spend money here for sure, but they don't want to subsidize movie productions if they aren't hiring enough locals to make it pay for us. Who has the real figures?
http://www.2theadvocate.com/stories/042905/pol_hollywood001.shtml Looks like $500 million dollars in spending, with $95 million dollars in credits issued out, with $70 million yet unclaimed! Half a billion dollars spent in state in a tad more than 24 months of the program being in full effect... $500 million dollars spent in return for $95 million in credits...5-1 ratio, it looks like... When you look at credits redeemed, it's a 4-1 ratio in terms of issuance versus redemption... Again, why is Blank-O and her band of merry idiots wanting to strip this program of its teeth?
