Kill the Golden Goose

A few weeks ago, I asked the Lovely Mrs. Gekko (my no drama mama) if she had noticed how more and more TV series we watch are done outside of LA.

Specifically, the number of shows done in Miami (Dexter, Burn Notice, CSI Miami, (we always watch Caruso's tacky intro)).

I had theorized that production had shifted due to union rules and/or tax purposes. Well, my observations appear well founded, as noted by this article.....

Is Los Angeles finally trying to become a film friendly city?

Don't hold your breath. But the city council this morning unanimously approved a series of modest recommendations aimed at slowing the disturbing migration rate of TV and film production to other cities and states.

The 17 recommendations include having the city evaluate a business tax credit for building owners that make their properties available for filming at "reasonable rate," and a sales tax refund for purchases made for filming when at least 75 percent of the shooting is done within the city. The council also agreed to offer city parking lots for free to film crews that shoot after hours or on weekends to increase the availability of power nodes downtown that film production companies could use in lieu of generators.

The steps come amid mounting evidence that LA is losing jobs in film and TV to other cheaper locales. More than 40 states offer tax credits and rebates. The city's wake-up came last year when ABC moved its sitcom "Ugly Betty" from LA to New York, to take advantage of tax credits there. Earlier this year, California adopted its first ever film tax credits, which have helped keep some productions from leaving but are considered too narrow in scope to compete with what other states offer.

Wow, when you leave LA for NY because of "tax reasons", what does that say about your tax structure?

But hey, what happened to all those "I love taxes" California liberals? Surely they would change locales for a few dollars, would they?

Where is John Galt?

More.....