This year’s best actress Oscar winner Cate Blanchett is coming to Cincinnati to film a new movie titled Carol. The film will also star Rooney Mara, known for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Sarah Paulson, best known for Oscar winner 12 Years a Slave and TV’s American Horror Story, and Kyle Chandler from TV’s Friday Night Lights. Todd Haynes will direct.
This is a great opportunity for people in Southwest Ohio. The entire film will be filmed in Cincinnati. The Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky Film Commission called for 700 extras to be cast locally. Also, since the film takes place in 1950s New York, the producers called for 1950s background cars for the film. That should excite people in this car town. This is a big deal. It’s like Hollywood is coming to Southwest Ohio.
Cleveland.com reports tax breaks brought the movie to Cincinnati, “Carol was awarded an Ohio Motion Picture Tax Credit by the Ohio Film Office, which announced the project today along with the Greater Cincinnati Film Commission.”
For those people who don’t realize taxes harm businesses and kill jobs, the Ohio Motion Picture Tax Credit proves otherwise. In 2011, Cleveland’s Newsnet5 documented, “The spotlight may be on Hollywood, but the Ohio film industry continues to grow as Ohio's Motion Picture Tax Credit secures more productions. According to the Ohio Film Office, five new projects will bring in anticipated revenue of more than $17.1 million for Ohio.” In 2010, Cleveland.com noted, “The tally in the first year of Ohio's film tax credit is nine movies and at least one new resident. ” The Ohio Film Office describes the credit, “The Ohio Motion Picture Tax Credit provides a refundable tax credit that equals 25 percent off in-state spend and non-resident wages and 35 percent in Ohio resident wages on eligible productions.” This tax break brings new business into the state, boosts local businesses and benefits all Ohioans. It also creates lasting business connections and opportunities that continue to boost our economy over time. In addition, it increases tax revenue. Too many people don’t understand that. That’s it’s only downside.
Ohioans aren’t the only people attracting business out of Hollywood with tax incentives. Variety reports Hollywood continues to flee California at an alarming rate “despite the film production incentive program California enacted in 2009, which provides for $100 million a year in tax credits for what’s usually 20% of production costs. That’s significantly smaller than programs offered by other states such as New York, which offers $420 million a year in credits for 30% of production costs.” The secretary-treasurer of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor feared Hollywood is turning into Detroit and for the same reasons: high taxes and oppressive labor unions.
Tax breaks, best of all tax cuts, don’t only benefit the film industry. New York attracted The Tonight Show from California with a $20 million a year tax break. And they don’t just benefit the entertainment industry. They benefit all businesses. Fuyao Glass Industry Group considered moving someplace besides Moraine despite the market forces that made Moraine an ideal location until JobsOhio promised undisclosed - meaning really big - tax incentives.
Politicians only offer tax breaks to big businesses - plutocrats and cronies - but the people of Dayton are legally scheduled to receive a significant tax cut. 0.5 percent of Dayton’s 2.25 percent income tax expires this year. That would give every worker and business owner in Dayton a 22 percent income tax cut. As Ohio’s movie tax break illustrates, that will bring new business to Dayton. It will also immediately make existing businesses more profitable. It will make every worker in Dayton wealthier. It will create productive jobs. It will improve the lives of everybody in and around Dayton. The boost in business would also increase tax revenue for the city, its only downside.
But Mayor Whaley doesn’t want the people of Dayton to be wealthier. She doesn’t want Dayton’s economy to improve. She wants her stolen money. She wants voters to make that 0.5 percent, business-killing income tax permanent in an election at the beginning of May. Whaley supports Detroit-style taxes and labor unions. We know how that ended up for Detroit.
If the government did nothing, we’d all become instantly wealthier. Because the tax is set to automatically expire, Dayton’s economy would instantly improve. Instead of allowing that to happen, Whaley and her cronies are forcing a vote for a new, permanent tax to replace the temporary one that’s done so much harm. Dayton’s minority governing cabal hid the permanent tax behind confusing ballot language, but they will come out in force to vote for it in a traditionally low turnout election they hope nobody else shows up for.
So tell your family, tell your friends, tell your neighbors. This is our one chance to win a tax cut that long-suffering Daytonians desperately need, but it can only happen if the people come out in force at the beginning of May to vote against the ruling cabal’s legalized theft of our incomes.
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