The decision of the Massachusetts House of Representatives to block a tax credit cap for movies filmed in the Commonwealth is not a clear-cut victory, but more of a necessary evil. Whether a waning economy will benefit from investing in what might bring business to the state or from blocking the government from handing out cash to production companies, there is some sense of comfort in knowing Massachusetts is doing something rather than nothing to help stimulate revenue.
The proposal, which boasted the support of Gov. Deval Patrick’s administration, aimed to scale down the current $100 million limit Massachusetts has allotted to entice companies to produce films in the Commonwealth. Patrick said the state cannot afford to continue to spend as extravagantly on movie production as it has been, and recommended as little as $7 million be spent on such investments, but the Department of Revenue has noted that Massachusetts tax credits are responsible for funneling $1 billion back into the state and creating thousands of new job opportunities.
No city, state or country can emerge from troubling economic climates by sitting still and keeping fingers crossed. The film tax credits are certainly a gamble, but one that could very well contribute to a more stable fiscal state. The industry has already proven it has a vested interested in using Boston for sweeping city views and valid locals for extras; allowing that to slip through the state’s fingers is allowing fear to dictate the future of money in Massachusetts. Being idle and hesitant might keep things stable for a moment, but avoiding any sort of long-term investment is only waiting for things to get worse. Hollywood has proven itself to be a cash cow for the Bay State, and that is a relationship from which we have reaped significant benefits for the past few years. Boston has already become home to its own breed of paparazzi as evidence. Remember all those shots last fall of Cameron Diaz, her down-pointing gun and wind-blown hair? Suri Cruise sprawled across a bench? Leonardo DiCaprio . . . everywhere?
No good can come from inactivity, especially when the motive for preservation is keeping things calm in the present tense. Massachusetts has to look forward to how it will not only emerge from tough times, but also project itself back to a plateau of security. The film tax credit cap would have done nothing but blocked the state from getting back on solid ground, and that is something the Commonwealth cannot afford.
This is an account occasionally used by the Daily Free Press editors to post archived posts from previous iterations of the site or otherwise for special circumstance publications. See authorship info on the byline at the top of the page.
