From: Rev. Mari H. Presedo <[address removed]>
To: [address removed]
Sent: Friday, July 4,[masked]:39 PM
Subject: Re: [filmind-228] Fw: Doing the math on Duck Dynasty

Dear Ben, 

I'm not sure what you do for a living, besides movies, but the auto dealerships where we bought our vehicles benefitted from the film industry, as do the restaurants we visit, the teachers whose classes we can now afford to take, the pharmacy where we buy sunscreen and mosquito repellent, the hotel we stayed at while working out of town multiple days, the lady that house sits and dog sits. All these people and services benefitted from money we earned working on films. These were things that we probably would have done without or not needed at all had it not been for the industry. I'm sure I can name more if I think about it but these were right off the top of my head.

Regards,

Mari H Presedo

[masked]

[address removed]

On Jul 4, 2014, at 12:25 PM, Susie Labry <[address removed]> wrote:

Daniel, just because other states as CA pass a tax credits does not mean we will lose industry. It is stayability and leaving well enough alone without reinventing a good wheel that works! Provided we keep what we have with a few tweaks, and leave well enough alone, we will keep our industry going regardless of other states. Many want to work or stay here and the credits enable them to do such.  Love your attitude of appreciate, but we need to keep up the faith that industry will stay and that the state will benefit thru ripple effects.

From: Daniel McMillan <[address removed]>
To: [address removed]
Sent: Friday, July 4,[masked]:20 PM
Subject: Re: RE: [filmind-228] Fw: Doing the math on Duck Dynasty



I sincerely hope we can work these things out. In any case, I'm very thankful.  As we all heard this week, Cali passed their own Tax credit program which will be enabled in 2016.  Thus, lot's of productions will no longer be here.  As I presently work on Henry Street, I am reminded how that nothing lasts forever and to be thankful, kind, and courteous to all that we meet.

Message -----

From: Ben Balser

To: [address removed]

Sent: Friday, July 04,[masked]:14 AM

Subject: Re: RE: [filmind-228] Fw: Doing the math on Duck Dynasty

Fact remains, Duck Dynasty gets welfare from the state, and then say welfare is wrong, and the number of Louisiana residents who pay state taxes who work for that show will never come anywhere close to making it up with their own income tax returns.  Not to mention no one has ever come up with numbers to factually show that TV shows and films in Louisiana, getting billions of welfare dollars, actually simulate enough other business to pay back not only those billions of film welfare dollars, but to show a profit.  Not one single study has ever shown this to be true.  Yet there are evangelists who insist it is true based on faith, not numbers.  Accounting based on faith ends up losing money, period.

It was stated, "I love how it conveniently leaves out any revenue made by the state in the form of tourism, housing, tax from merchandise etc, etc, etc."

Again, show me numbers, where is a study to factually back up this claim?  Several studies have been done here and in other states, and show the tax incentives don't actually bring in as much as you claim.  The film industry does not bring in tons of tourism.  People don't come to see films made.  No city has ever been shown to have an increase in tourism because a movie was made there.  Show me the facts.

On a radio interview this past week, Secretary of Louisiana Economic Development Stephen Moret was asked (by me) when the film/tv tax insitives will pay for themselves, or stimulate enough state wide growth to pay them back, and admitted that the tax incentives will never pay for themselves in any manner, they are an expensive and very precarious investment in returns we have no information to verify.  So there you have it, the tax incentives may never be financially beneficial, from the horse's mouth.

So, there are no facts to back up wild statements that the state grows economically from the billions of dollars we give away as film industry welfare.  Not a single piece of solid, factual information.  Just speculation based on made-up fantasies about economics that do not mathematically add up.

Those of us who simply question the realities of tax incentives and film industry welfare, are chastised by you evangelists for asking simple questions of numbers, rather than jumping on the bandwagon of blind faith.  Again, show the numbers to backup your claim, and stop bashing folks like me who ask legitimate questions.

Duck Dynasty does NOT in any way, form, or shape pay the state back for the tons of welfare money the cast gets from the state, that is does in any manner is simply a fantasy that the numbers don't back up.  Why not run it like a regular TV show, and let it support itself off of advertising and sponsors?  What is wrong with that?  Why should MY tax dollars support rich folks I never watch or care for?  "I" don't get any return on that, do I?

Put you money where your mouth is, show me some factual numbers, show me factually in reality how Duck Dynasty's welfare checks help me as a Louisiana citizen?

-Ben Balser

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