Members of the Texas Senate heard last week from advocates for expanded subsidies for Hollywood filmmakers. Proponents said Texas needs to offer bigger film subsidies, like Georgia and New Mexico, to attract movie production to the state. Opponents, who were not invited to testify, have criticized Texas’ expenditures that have historically gone to fund B-rated movies and commercials for Taco Bell and the U.S. Post Office.
Yesterday, we asked readers if the state should continue subsidizing the film industry.
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Here is a sampling of the comments we received from our readers after they voted in the survey.
“As a retired studio owner and producer, I answered a reluctant ‘no.’ It’s not really that simple. No, to corporate welfare certainly, but historically, sales tax exemptions and ease of hiring day labor and independent contractors reporting on Form 1099 have made Texas a welcome venue, and we need to expand on those ideas. It’s a clean industry and brings in revenue to the locations they chose, but it is not a career opportunity for most ‘free lancers’ in the state. What it does is create a short-term gig for those subcontractors in the state who otherwise are waiting tables somewhere in anticipation of the next shoot. We don’t need to underwrite productions, but the tax thing and easing up of TWC makes a huge difference, especially to up-start independent producers.” – Robert Bruce
“Government should not be providing subsidies. It should be left up to the private industry. Subsidies provided by the government always gets in the wrong hands.” – Madeline Bentivegna
“If the film industry needs incentives to film here in Texas, let them get it from some other place other than my pocket.” – Charles Hastings
“So out of state filmmakers can get subsidies, but Texas residents are STILL waiting for real and laying property tax relief? Unreal.” – Cindy Armstrong
“Hollywood is so leftist-twisted-perverse, Texas should not crack open the door for them. And guess what—most of the great movies about Texas from the Golden Era—they weren’t made in Texas anyway.” – Tim Rhodes
“ABSOLUTELY ‘HAIL’ NO to subsidies to any film industry… the garbage they produce does not promote the values I believe in. Give us (We The People, property taxpayers) relief.” – Elizabeth Day
“Why should we support woke DEI Hollywood?” – Tom Gavin
“It is unrealistic to support any enterprises for extended periods of time. Not only movie makers get such benefits.” – Barbara McClure
“Any business that makes billions of dollars a year and can afford to pay employees tens of millions of dollars a year does not need government welfare. If other states want to do that – let them have it. That is one competition Texas should not win.” – Steve Sullivan
“I don’t generally support subsidies. … If a specific subsidy is truly an investment that brings greater economic returns to Texas, then it’s worth considering. This appears to be the case with certain film incentives. Lots of Texans and Texas businesses benefit from a production in a Texas community (hotels, restaurants, journeyman jobs, etc.). If the market was truly free, Texas would be attractive to the film industry. Unfortunately, other states have incentives which will tip the scales in their favor.” – Ashley Forbes
“Tax subsidies are a mixed bag. I am for them if the return to the taxpayers is there. I am talking actual tax revenue as a return be it by increased wages and sales tax. A tax subsidy for a corporation that is foreign-owned or based out of state needs to be looked at very closely. Those are almost certainly going to take money from the local population and transfer it somewhere else.” – Charles Drinkwater
“When people are having hard times paying their bills, why are we using tax payers money to give $200 million to the movie industry? I am truly disappointed in Taylor Sheridan (net worth $70 million) for endorsing this; he basically wants a handout.” – Leslie Denson
“Frankly, I’m tired of government spending taxpayer money to bring more people to Texas and buy up our land and Californicate our state.” – Alan Pratt
“The movie industry brings in money and tourism. What’s the difference between this and subsidizing corporations to relocate?” – Jeremy Pollack
“Rather, they should pay us to use our beautiful state in their movies. Let’s keep all of Hollywood that we can out of here!” – Karen Breazeale
