Rep. Kintigh aims to cut film incentives

By Larry Behrens 1/21/10 7:40 PM

Scene opens: The 2009 legislative session. Moments after a House committee killed his bill to end state movie credits Rep. Dennis Kintigh spends two hours with industry representatives to try and find a compromise. Fast forward to now and…he’s reintroduced the very same bill.

With services being cut and state employees headed for furloughs Kintigh says now is the perfect time to re-re-examine the $82 million dollars he says New Mexico sends to Hollywood.

Kintigh takes more than a few shots on for his position on this issue. Ask him any question you want, he’s got an over-stuffed binder and quickly accessible laptop full of everything on the issue, but he doesn’t need either.

“It’s easier for the other side to make their case,” says Kintigh, because to see things his way you need to process a lot of numbers and spend a lot of time. The question is whose numbers are worth your time?

Kintigh’s argument is the same this year as last year, only this time around the state’s budget crunch is much deeper.

Governor Richardson celebrated the industry in the state of the state on Tuesday:

“A singular bright sector in our economy throughout the state remains the Film industry.

Today, more than ten thousand direct and indirect jobs and thousands of New Mexico businesses are tied to the film industry, including over two hundred and fifty new businesses started here.

More than one hundred and thirty major movie and television productions have been made in New Mexico during this administration, bringing over $3 billion dollars in economic impact and generating hundreds of millions in state and local tax revenues.

These film and TV productions bring new dollars and showcase not just the attractions of Albuquerque or Santa Fe, but also the charm of New Mexico’s great small towns and pueblos—like Stanley and Roy, Santa Ana and San Ildefonso, Willard and Madrid, Carrizozo and Chimayo, Pecos and Tijeras, as well as Cochiti and To’Hajiliee.

And while New Mexico does not provide the most generous film incentives in the nation, we do provide the most effective ones. “

But Kintigh points to the two major studies done on the issue when it comes to jobs. Both say the film industry has created just under 2,000 new opportunities, not enough to justify the tens of millions New Mexico is paying out. He says “I don’t want it [the film industry] to leave, but we can’t subsidize it.”

Kintigh says anyone who spends enough time looking at the numbers will see the film incentives as an expense the state can’t handle. He’s posted his position with studies that support and oppose his position, on his blog.

His bill is HB 52 which is expected to be heard in its first committee next week. It’s the exact same bill as last year, no compromises.

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harvy123

if Rep. Dennis Kintigh still continues to "pretend" that the film industry is not generating jobs for New Mexicans then i will "pretend" to vote for him

harv

Walter Sobchak

Apropos of the effects of film production tax incentives, according to a report on CBS Evening News last night (Saturday February 13th, 2010) entitled ""Hollywood in Michigan" (http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=6205668n...), since Michigan began it's 42% film production rebate program in April of 2008 there's been a 900% increase in motion pictures being shot there, which has generated a $325 million windfall for the state and created 7,000 jobs, many of them for former autoworkers. Due to the state's film incentive program the remake of "Red Dawn" with a budget of $75 million is currently being shot in Michigan (the original was shot in NM in 1984) and the construction of three major studios are now in the works there.

JP

If by chance you're not a resident of House District: 57 (http://legis.state.nm.us/lcs/DistrictMaps/2002H...) and therefor not in a position to "pretend" to vote for Representative Kintigh (who incidentally is running unopposed for reelection) but are concerned about the potential impacts of HB52 (http://legis.state.nm.us/Sessions/10%20Regular/...), you might take the time to let the legislators who represent you know that you're opposed to New Mexico's film production incentives being eliminated. If you need assistance see http://legis.state.nm.us/lcs/legislatorsearch.aspx for information about who your legislators are and how to contact them.

Hulamouse

For heaven's sake, why does New Mexico need to compete to attract an industry that's created ten thousand jobs, supports thousands of local businesses (and is responsible for creating two hundred and fifty new ones), produces billion dollars in economic impacts and generates hundreds of millions in state and local tax revenues?

Jon Biteme

I agree also with Kintigh because he is right! Sending more money to Hollywood must be stopped until the Union collusion with the Hollywood studios and attempts to arrest me stop. Let’s hear from those of you who work on movies and have been unjustly accused of things or forced to have an ignition locking device installed on your vehicle because of the business agent. Yes, the good citizens of the state of New Mexico are all counting on us and God willing we will prevail, in freedom from fear and in true health.

J Banks

Have you tried tin foil to block the signals ?

harvy123

What is a "business agent"? And how can this peron force you to install an ignition locking device installed on your vehicle ?

Alberto Gonzales

In the motion picture industry the members of a local union (which is the basic unit in union organization and is chartered by the international with which it is affiliated - in this case the IATSE http://www.iatse-intl.org/about/about.html) elect their own officers, including a Business Agent, who during his term of office acts under the guidance of an elected executive board and the general membership as the executive secretary for the local. As part of that responsibility the business agent handles the local union's business matters, investigates complaints of the members, represents their interests in negotiations with employers and generally administer the local's affairs.
As to how a business agent could force a union member (?) to install a ignition interlock on their vehicle or what sort of circumstances led to this assertion, that would seem to be something that only Mr. Biteme might be able to answer.

Walter Sobchak

As part of an effort to ensure safety in their workplace the members of IATSE local 480 (New Mexico) have a zero tolerance policy for all forms of substance abuse, including the consumption of alcohol. Any violation of this policy would, as a matter of standard operating procedure for dealing with potential occupational hazards, be reported to the elected shop steward on the show (the motion picture), since this person's responsibilities include acting to maintain and enforce all of the aspects of workplace safety on set. In instances where the shop steward cannot get the unsafe circumstance corrected he is obligated to notify the local's Business Agent, who is legally obligated to intervene in order to protect the film workers and also their employer's interests.
See http://www.iatse-intl.org/services/bulletins.html

J Banks

I feel like I have stumbled upon a secret society or fraternity like the Skull and bones or at least dungeons and dragons. For those of you who are writing intellegent replies to Mr Biteme's rant ( hopefully a nom de plume or we may have discovered the root of his anger ) then your waisting your time. Logic and reason shies in the face of madnes. Also he's not doing his and rep k's cause any favours
To Biteme, could I suggest the next time before you post you try out that interlock. If it wont let you drive,refrain from the keyboard

JP

After thinking about what you said I realized there's definitely something about 'the biz' which might make it feel like a secretive organization, but that's probably a result of the collaborative nature of film production generating a sense of community and one in which most of the participants recognize that they absolutely depend upon one another in order to survive and prosper. There's also the sort of proletarian camaraderie that sharing common adversities and a pride in doing good work creates, which tends to create a somewhat insular culture, not unlike what exists in the military or other parts of show business (for instance the circus). Then there's the jargon and slang we use, which to any normal person probably sounds like a secret language or gibberish but serves as a form of verbal shorthand (see "Strike the Baby and Kill the Blonde" http://books.google.com/books?id=lw0K0x5Yi7UC&p...)
Anyway, in terms of explaining the movies, Peter O'Toole has a great line as the Director Eli Cross in the Movie The Stuntman (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0081568/) "Do you not know that King Kong the first was just three foot six inches tall? He only came up to Faye Wray's belly button! If God could do the tricks that we can do he'd be a happy man!"

Guest

Check out the entire script at http://www.dailyscript.com/scripts/the-stuntman... - also don't miss the DGA interview of Werner Herzog where he describes what being 'a good soldier of cinema' means http://www.dgaquarterly.org/BACKISSUES/Winter20...

Walter Sobchak

Since Mr. Biteme obviously has some sort of personal beef with the business agent for Local 480, who's first name is Jon, I'm presuming the name is a childish pseudonym. For what it might be worth the IATSE has a number of specific administrative procedures that allow members to redress any grievance they might have and these extend to bringing local officers or members up on charges before the a board of the International Union.

Guest

What most people don't realize is that apart from all of the tinsel the motion picture business is really just another industrial process and that in order to efficiently do the physical work that's involved the labor force has to be highly skilled and organized, somewhat along the lines of an army in fact. In any case I've been working as a key grip (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Key_grip) for over forty years and there's only been two instances where I've had to 'release' anyone from my department, both of which were a result of the individuals involved becoming enough of a obvious danger to themselves and others that it was necessary to remove them from the job.

Antonia Vigil

The idea that New Mexico sent $82 million dollars to Hollywood is totally bogus since that figure represents the taxes that were deferred on the total amount which film production companies spent in New Mexico in 2008, an amount which produced $120 million in tax and other revenues for the state. In other words the incentives produced a windfall of $40 million in tax revenues that otherwise would never have existed. If the Legislature is stampeded into reducing these film production incentives we can expect to lose a lot of much needed tax revenue, which will end up coming out of our pockets.

J Banks

Ah... Where to start ? Lets look at the last year since the Rev K's bill failed in B&I. Multiple RED States such as LA,TX,OK and most interestingly UT either initiated or expanded there incentives programs. Even CA with the worst bufget crisis in history and a Red Gov found 100's of Millions. Thats in addition to the Blue States such as MI,NY and MA ( oops not the most shiny example of blue) that did so previousily. Are all those R's and D's reading the Rev's studies? Only in NM can a Freshman house member be so convinced he's right and everyone else on both sides of the spectrum is wrong and he has the figures to prove it damm it ! Sen Keller points out we give Billions ( thats right Billions ) out in tax breaks and exemptions. The only reason that film is so prominent is theres no check cut till the monies spent. So we know how much it costs and makes. Everything else like the breaks to Oil and Gas or Agriculture and Industres such as Aviation and Chip manufacturing are up front so we dont know how much they are. A comprehensive study of not just film but the 54 other programs with the intent of limiting or eliminating those that dont work would scare the beejaysus out of the Rev's contributers. Oh and by the way its 3k direct jobs and 12k total. Your reffering to 2 studies from 3 years ago and while growth has slowed its gone up in the last 3 years. Perhaps a study of where were going to replace these jobs and how much that will cost is in that briefcase ?

Phoebe

Thanks for providing the update on the figures for the number of jobs and the economic impact created by the film incentives. For what it might be worth I've seen first hand how local people and businesses (in Española, Chimayó and Las Vegas) directly benefited from film companies being attracted to New Mexico and as a result can't help but think that what Rep. Kintigh is proposing is very short sighted at best.

Donald G. Farnsworth

New Mexico is currently enjoying the benefits of being in the best position nationally to attract film production but the loss of a competitive film incentive program will end this. In 2008 New Mexico's film incentive programs produced $120 million in tax and other revenues for the state as a direct result of our providing $80 million in incentives, which means NM ended up getting $40 million in tax revenue (along with other economic benefits) that it otherwise would never have received. The figures are not in yet for 2009 but a conservative estimate is that the total economic benefit of the film industry to NM was $890 million. Additionally the presence of the film industry is credited with having been a significant factor in keeping New Mexico's unemployment rate below the national average in 2009. It is in fact in our long term interest as taxpayers to continue to attract this industry to New Mexico - but in order to do this we need to maintain our incentive programs so that our state can continue to compete with others for this business.

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CATEGORIES AND TAGS: 2010 Legislative Session, Blog, Roundhouse, Dennis Kintigh, film incentives, film industry

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