Saving Acting Jobs in Massachusetts

posted Feb 6, 2010 8:03 AM by Kevin Kirshner   [ updated Feb 6, 2010 9:10 AM ]

A message from the Massachusetts Production Coalition:

Last week, Governor Patrick proposed a cap on the Film and TV tax
credit of $50 million per year for the next two years.

Yet, the Massachusetts Film and TV Tax Credit has created more
than $1 billion in new economic activity in the Commonwealth since
it was created four years ago.  As most of you know first-hand, it
has been a tremendous boon to the Commonwealth, acting as an
incentive to local investment by production companies that have
come here in large numbers.

The proposed $50 million cap represents a 25% credit on $200
million of eligible production expenditures for each year of the
two years. The state has averaged between $75 and $100 million in
credits per year for the last two years, so the cap represents a
potential 50% decrease in production in our state.

The Governor¹s suggested temporary film credit cap has gone to the
legislature, where the House and Senate will determine its fate.
While we sympathize with the need to close the budget gap and want
to do our part, the Massachusetts Production Coalition believes
that capping this credit is not the best solution and will lead to
lost jobs and lost economic growth.This, at a time when we need
increased jobs and economic activity to work our way out of the
current fiscal environment and encourage new investments in the
commonwealth.


The Massachusetts Production Coalition is working to eliminate the
proposed cap to protect production in our state and jobs for our
members. We are coordinating our efforts with other stakeholders
both inside and outside the state.  But we need your voice.

WHO TO CALL

Targeted phone calls delivering a unified message are needed.
PLEASE MAKE PHONE CALLS TO THE FOLLOWING LEGISLATORS FIRST. If you want to send an email or fax a letter as well, the necessary
contact information is provided.




CALL TO ACTION

1. Call your Massachusetts state Representative and your
Massachusetts state Senator. If you do not know your State
Representative and/or Senator please go
to: http://www.mass.gov/legis/city_town.htm

2. Call the following key legislators:

Use the bullet points below. When you call, first ask to speak to
the Representative/Senator, and if unavailable, leave a message
with a member of his/her staff.

Speaker of the House Robert DeLeo: 617-722-2500.
Fax: 617-722-1008.   Robert.DeLeo@state.ma.us
Senate President Therese Murray: 617-722-1500.
Fax: 617-248-3840.   Therese.Murray@state.ma.us
Rep. Charles Murphy, Chair, House ways & Means Committee:
617-722-2990.
Fax: 617-722-2998.   Rep.CharlesMurphy@hwm.state.ma.us
Senator Steven Panagiotakos, Chair, Senate Ways & Means Committee:
617-722-1630.
Fax: 617-722-1001.   Steven.Panagiotakos@state.ma.us


SUGGESTED SCRIPT TO FOLLOW:
Use the bullet points below. When you call, first ask to speak to
the Representative/Senator, and if unavailable, leave a message
with a member of his/her staff.

My name is
My address is (street address & town)

 NOTE: When calling your own Representative/Senator, BE SURE TO SAY that you are a constituent of the [
Senator/Representative].
  • I work in the film and television industry, my job is one of thousands of jobs created by the film tax credit.
  • I am opposed to the proposed cap on the film tax credit
  • in the Supplemental Budget because it will export my job to
  • another state.
  • The film tax credit has brought more than $1 billion in
  • new economic growth to Massachusetts, as well as scores of new
  • businesses and thousands of new jobs for people like me, and I
  • need that work.
  • Studios will still make movies and spend hundreds of
  • millions of dollars anyway- just not here.
  • The credit is a solution to the state's current economic
  • stagnation and job loss, not a problem.
  • I ask that Representative/Senator (name) preserve job
  • creation and growth in the Commonwealth by voting AGAINST the cap
  • on the film tax credit.

You may also ask your family and friends to call. If they do not
work in the industry, they can use the appropriate bullet points
above and explain the benefits they have seen first-hand.

Every phone call counts.  Thank you!