Nov. 28 PA Environment Digest Now Available

Nov. 28 PA Environment Digest now available. Click Here to print this Digest.

Analysis: Should Taxpayers Spend $75 M A Year To Subsidize Zack & Miri Make A Porno?

There is no doubt the public and therefore politicians are in a "no tax increase,""cut the size of government" mood these days. They want every dollar spent to go to a valid public purpose and to create some lasting public value.
So, many taxpayers are surprised when they learn $75 million a year of their tax money has gone to support the production of movies like Zack and Miri Make a Porno ($5.7 million in 2008), has subsidized Danzel Washington in Unstoppable ($20.8 million) and supports TV productions like the QVC home shopping network ($3.7 million).
Since the PA Film Production Tax Credit Program was adopted in 2007 at the urging of Gov. Rendell, some $242.5 million in taxpayer dollars have gone to subsidize productions like Russell Crowe in The Next Three Days ($7.3 million), Sigourney Weaver and Twilight's Laylor Lautner in Abduction ($8.9 million) and the Restaurant Impossible TV show on the Food Network ($1.3 million).