Tuesday, January 20, 2015

NC Republicans to Hollywood: Drop Dead

The axing of North Carolina's film incentive program is costing us jobs, and more than just the jobs for the crews and the support staffs, it's costing small businesses BIG TIME.

Just announced: the Fox television production of "Sleepy Hollow" has announced that it will move to Atlanta for its third season (assuming it has a third season).

Where Hollywood goes for its on-location filming, local small businesses benefit. When "The Winter People" filmed in Avery County back in the 1980s, local antiques dealers sold props to the production. The making of Michael Mann's epic, "Last of the Mohicans," in the 1990s benefited more antiques dealers as well as hundreds of local people who worked as extras.

Here's a partial list of small businesses which profit from local film production:
Printers and Sign Manufacturers
Florists/Plants sales
Restaurants and Caterers
Hotels
Window Coverings
Event Rental Services (tents, etc.)
Photographers
Videographers
Physicians
Camera and Lighting Equipment
Heavy Machinery
Car/Van Rentals
Security and Locksmiths
Hardware/Lumberyards/Paint
Medics/Police/Firefighters
Antique Dealers
Teachers/Tutors
Marine Services
Artists
Calligraphers
Garbage/Recycling
Mobile Restrooms
Aerial Services
Hollywood deals in cash money and generally doesn't waste time haggling. But the economic geniuses in the NC General Assembly wanted Hollywood gone. And it's going.

Gee, thanks, Governor McCrory, for signing that bullshit legislation.

2 comments:

Vicki Boyer said...

The GOP leadership has an overly simplistic view of the world. And it hurts everyone.

brotherdoc said...

But, but--we've gotta cut the state budget to pay for all those tax cuts for the rich. Shoot, when I was a kid my grandma didn't let me go to those Hollywood movies anyway, too dirty to see people kissing on the screen. Maybe the state could sell off some state forests and parks to private developers it could close the budget gaps, or privatize some more prisons, cut funding or close a couple of "unprofitable" UNC campuses.... Let's see, we already cut back unemployment benefits, medicaid is out for a lot of folks already, how else can we punish the "takers" and "moochers".... (Just trying to think like a Republican here.)