Ehrlich would boost credit for film, TV productions
Republican former Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. said Wednesday that he would lure television and film productions to Maryland by expanding a state tax credit that has been cut since he left office.
After meeting with film and television industry reprsentatives in Hunt Valley, the onetime actor -- he made a cameo appearance as a State House security guard in "The Wire" -- said he would budget $7 million for the film production tax credit that was created during his administration.
The state budgeted $6 million for the tax credit under Ehrlich; the current figure is about $1 million. As a result, the Ehrlich campaign said Wednesday, no major production has come to Maryland in three years.
“Unemployment has doubled in Maryland since 2006 and little has been done by the O’Malley Administration to turn the economic tide,” Ehrlich said in a statement. “Cutting this tax credit is no different than cutting jobs. We all benefit from the jobs production companies bring to Maryland, and the money they spend on salaries, hotel rooms, restaurant meals, transportation, security, even dry cleaning and entertainment. It’s an expenditure that produces a huge return on a small investment, and we ought to return Maryland to the forefront of TV and film production. When I’m governor, we will.”
His campaign quoted a Sage Policy Group report indicating that the industry generated $158 million in direct and indirect economic impact to the state in 2006.
A campaign spokesman for Democratic Gov. Martin O’Malley referred questions to the state Department of Business and Economic Development. Hannah Byron, the assistant secretary of business and economic development for tourism, film and the arts, said it was the legislature that cut the tax credit.
Byron said the $6.8 million that O’Malley requested for fiscal year 2008 was cut by the legislature to $4 million, and the $2 million he requested for fiscal 2010 was cut to $1 million.
“There have been some pretty difficult budget decisions that needed to be made,” Byron said. “The administration has been willing to commit additional funds in order to secure productions that would have a significant employment or economic impact. Unfortunately, none of those productions have come to fruitition, for a number of reasons.”
She said the state is now in discussions with the producer of “a major project that will have a major impact.” She said could not divulge details.
In a release Wednesday, The Ehrlich campaign said “TV series like ‘The Wire’ and ‘Homicide,’ as well as blockbuster films like ‘Ladder 49’ were shot here during the Ehrlich Admininstration, thanks largely to the tax credit” that was created in 2005.
In fact, Homicide was filmed in the 1990s, The Wire was first broadcast in 2002, and Ladder 49 was released in 2004 – all before the credit was created.
Asked about the claim, Ehrlich spokesman Andy Barth called it "an inadvertent and unintentional error," and said the campaign would correct it in all future communication on the subject.
Comments
Mr. Ehrlich won't have my Republican vote until he tells me he'll end Maryland's "Sanctuary State" status.
Posted by: Mike | June 23, 2010 5:17 PM
Ehrlich is pandering to the liberal Hollywood fat cats. Does the man know no shame.
Posted by: Rusty | June 23, 2010 5:49 PM
I'm beginning to think Ehrlich is in the early stages of dementia. His recall of the facts (and the truth) is slipping big time. PLEASE DO NOT VOTE FOR BOB EHRLICH!!!
Posted by: bellefontegirl47 | June 23, 2010 6:11 PM
Not one penny of tax dollars should go to make shows and movies that make Baltimore look like the gangsta's paradise. I know Bob Ehrlich thinks its cool to make Baltimore look tacky, but every dollar these movies generate costs us tenfold in furthering the gang culture in Baltimore and lost business. Don't believe me...why don't shows like The Wire get filmed in DC, St Louis, or Detroit? Because those cities have the political will to run these "producers" out of town. Bob Ehrlich needs the votes of the thugs that Gov O'Malley has worked to put behind bars.
Posted by: Josh | June 23, 2010 6:19 PM
So Bobby Do Nothin' wants to take money from programs that help people in need and give it to rich Hollywood types ? No thanks. Vote O'Malley a second term.
Posted by: Shoreman Ed | June 23, 2010 6:28 PM
Okay.
Too many people have the wrong idea about what the Film Fund is and what it means to this state.
1. List of Films and TV shows Made in Maryland here:
http://marylandfilm.org/filmcredits.html
Note "The Wire", "Homicide" and "The Corner" are NOT the only shows Made in Maryland.
It's just "The Wire" is the LAST show that was made here and yes it has resonated a negative image of Baltimore around the world. The real problem is many viewers think it's "just a show" but Marylanders know the truth.
We actually lost "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" to Louisiana due to our lack of a sufficient Film Fund. THAT story takes place in Baltimore, it's on the first page of the book. Imagine if that was the most recent image the world had of Baltimore…
2. Films and TV shows put food on the tables of Maryland residents. Hollywood Studio's pay for Movie Stars, Yes. They also issue paychecks to your neighbors so they can eat and pay bills and send their kids to school and pay their mortgages.
3. While Films and TV shows are in Maryland: The Crews working on those films buy groceries, buy gas, rent out hotel rooms (sometimes hundreds at a time), buy lumber, pay office phone bills, pay office electric bills, buy products from local vendors, eat at local restaurants, visit other local businesses and much more money spent ALL IN MARYLAND.
4. Whether it's Ehrlich or O'Malley or someone else, the Film Fund will help hundreds, if not thousands of Marylanders eat and pay bills. Isn't that what we're all trying to do right now?
Finally:
The Film Fund is NOT a handout.
It is an Investment.
An investment in the future of the state and it's citizens.
The Film Fund is a way of luring ALL THAT HOLLYWOOD MONEY into the State of Maryland so it can become MARYLAND MONEY.
Please ask around, talk to your neighbors, your co-workers and find out more about how much this Film Fund means to Local Film Workers and how badly we have been affected by it's continual cutting.
Thank you
Signed,
One of the Hundreds of Out of Work Maryland Film Crew
Posted by: Film Facts for Marylanders | June 23, 2010 6:52 PM
Sure, make more promises of hand outs to businesses, cut taxes, etc. Can't wait to hear him explain how he is going to balance the budget.
Posted by: Brian in Bel Air | June 23, 2010 7:29 PM
And this is to address our budget deficit how???
Posted by: Bud | June 23, 2010 9:22 PM
Good deal - someone interested in creating jobs in Maryland and publicizing the state. Sure beats the worthless slob in Annapolis now.Easy to balance the budget when you cut union pay and waste of money like to Casa de Maryland. No sense harboring criminals like Maryland currently does (see the JFX accident yesterday).Let's face it, all O'Money had ever accomplished was:-highest tax increase - EVER-Furloughs - lots of 'emHIGHERutility costs-Chasing companies out of state-Keeping companies from coming to the state-Higher pay for his staff - but no furloughs-Turning a 2 billion surplus to a deficit-False tuition freezes but raising costs several times over for parking, general fees and room/board.We can look forward to dramatically higher taxes that coincide with the lies he says every day.
Posted by: theBaltimoreColt | June 23, 2010 10:23 PM
Since when is giving industry a tax break not a handout ? Is it when extending unemployment benefits adds to the deficit ? Is it when taking money that could be used to feed and house people surviving hard times is given to people who made MILLIONS the last time they worked here ? Please tell me how this is not a hand out to the entertainment industry, that, as soon as we asked them to put up their fair share told us to go screw ourselves.
Posted by: Shoreman Ed | June 23, 2010 11:26 PM
Until every homeless person is sheltered, and every child fed, and every school unsegregated, no budget of 7 million or any money should be used for the film production tax credit. Movies are a want, not a need, and with today's economy-it's about the needs. Maybe he wants to play movie star or something I don't know, but that seven million should go to the city schools, hospitals, and communities.
Who is going to vote for this joker?
Posted by: jay dawg | June 29, 2010 4:49 PM
How on earth do people consider this a handout?
Without the tax credit, film & tv work simply WILL NOT come to Maryland. Period. Like every other industry, film & tv companies are looking for ways to cut production costs in this lousy economy. If we don't throw them a bone, they will take their money elsewhere.
So...we either give them a tax break and get their business, or we offer them nothing and we GET NOTHING. The Film Fund will bring more business and more money into Maryland that would otherwise go elsewhere. It is a no-brainer. It's not like we're cutting taxes from an existing business...without the tax break, there IS NO business.
That said, I don't like how the Ehrlich campaign is trying to take credit for shows prior to his administration. Slimy as usual. I'm not happy with either Ehrlich or O'Malley.
Posted by: Rick | July 7, 2010 11:01 AM
I question the IQ of some of the people on here. Someone responded, "Until every homeless person is sheltered... no budget of 7 million or any money should be used for the film production tax credit".
Jobless (and homeless) people will be given opportunities to work, not handouts when we have a friendly business environment. I worked in the production business.
When productions work in Maryland here are the people they employ:
-carpenters
-plumbers
-electricians
-food service
-security
-drivers
-hotels
-resturaunts
-printers
And we haven't even gotten to the production crew yet!
-lighting design crew
-camera operators
-directors of production
-sound engineers
-writers
-editors
-makeup artists
-on screen talent
-extras
-rental equipment
-property rental for shooting scenes
-studio rental
-painters
-etc, etc, etc...
Posted by: August West | July 27, 2010 2:58 PM