New Mexico governor targets film incentives for cuts (Reuters)

Saturday, March 5, 2011 1:01 PM By dwi

SANTA FE (Reuters) – New Mexico's new politico Governor Susana Martinez is attractive aim at her state's flick business by capping set incentives she calls a giveaway the land crapper no longer afford.

A proposal to container the turn of rebates to filmmakers has cleared the New Mexico House of Representatives, and the senate is expected to balloting on the measure in coming days.

New Mexico is not lonely in attractive a hornlike countenance at the set credits. Georgia, Pennsylvania, America and Newmarket also are considering cuts in their programs, which supporters call grave to nurturing a healthy, jobs-producing flick industry.

Since attractive duty in New Mexico, Martinez has lobbied to revilement the channel program, locution it takes absent from the state's imperishable fund for education. She calls it a "subsidy to tone on the backs of our schoolchildren."

The planned subsidy container that passed the House this past hebdomad 53-17 would limit the turn of flick rebates to $45 meg per year. The maximal turn to fellow was $76 meg in 2009.

Martinez spokesman histrion Darnell said the governor was entertained with the nonpartisan House vote.

"The Governor is focused on equalisation the budget -- closing a $450 meg inadequacy -- without raising taxes on New Mexico families and without cutting resource to the room and healthcare for those most in need," Darnell said.

Opponents call the cuts a death knell for the state's burgeoning flick business and an attack on organized labor.

"The governor's proposal would kill the flick industry," Eric Witt, who heads the Motion Picture Association of New Mexico, said on Friday.

"We hit set a gold standard for flick production, but if we start cloudy incentives, we're off the table," he said.

Former Democratic Governor Bill histrion in 2003 increased the land set channel to 25 proportionality from 15 proportionality to lure flick and TV crews. The channel effectuation a lodge of some eligible flick expenditures in the land are returned to filmmakers.

About 20 states provide more big set credits, including Louisiana and New York which provide 30 percent, Witt said. Utah has planned to increase its information to 25 from 15 percent.

Santa Fe Democratic Rep. Brian Egolf called the container a "purely semipolitical decision" supported on the flick industry's strong unions.

"If it's rattling most money, then let's countenance at lubricator and gas," said Egolf, whose planned amendment to modify set incentives to lubricator and pedal companies was voted down.

Many big-budget movies hit been filmed in New Mexico in recent years, including Oscar winners "No Country for Old Men" and "True Grit."

A new film, "The Avengers" with Scarlett Johansson, parliamentarian Downey Jr. and Samuel L. Jackson, is scheduled to begin actuation incoming month.

The land has invested jillions of dollars in developing flick infrastructure, including technical upbringing at local colleges and creating state-of-the prowess good stages for pre- and post-production.

In an Op-ed example in The New York Times in February, histrion criticized Martinez's arguments that incurvature films against students. He called the incentives an economic boon for the land and a artefact for the world to see most New Mexico.

Richardson wrote that the business and activity businesses created 10,000 jobs and brought in nearly $4 billion to the land over octad years.

"Any information that's a positive for the frugalness benefits everyone, including children," histrion wrote.

(Editing by Corrie MacLaggan, saint Bohan and Ellen Wulfhorst)


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