Here is director/producer Barry Levinson's retort to last week's column on his proposal to have Maryland taxpayers share the cost of producing movies in Maryland. The letter was printed in yesterday's newspaper. I searched today to see if bills for this proposal had been filed. But I didn't find any on the General Assembly's site.

State film subsidies create jobs, revenue February 2, 2009 Last week, I traveled to Annapolis to support the proposal for a tax rebate to film companies that shoot films in the Maryland area. I was joined at the press conference on this issue by business and political leaders from all over the state, none of whom has anything to gain from increased film production except inasmuch as it helps builds Maryland's economy.

Is this proposal worthy of a debate? I would think so.

But Jay Hancock reduces it to sophomoric satire, comparing tax rebates to a scam in Mel Brooks' The Producers: "Entertainment moguls don't need to con little old ladies to finance productions anymore" ("Lights, camera ... what?" Jan. 28).

But Mr. Hancock's suggestion that this proposal represents Hollywood lining the pockets of producers at the expense of Maryland taxpayers is not only wrongheaded but naive.

Mr. Hancock provides a few statistics to support his case, but he avoids a recent study of New York state film subsidies by the accounting firm of Ernest and Young.

This study found that as a result of the credits, New York would keep or create about 19,500 jobs and generate $404 million in tax revenues at a cost of $215 million for the tax credits.

Jobs and revenue are at stake here. This issue is something that should be discussed.

Mr. Hancock's smug attitude is hardly an answer and is not informative to his readers.

Barry Levinson
New York

The writer is a movie and television producer.