Minnesota Governor Shuns Film and will veto tax break

[LynneSin]

Minnesota Gov Shuns Film


http://www.imdb.com/news/sb/#1
Saying that their film would portray the Iron Range area of Minnesota in a bad light, state officials have decided not to allow producers of the upcoming Warner Bros. movie Class Action to receive a 10-percent tax rebate, which had been offered by the Minnesota Film Board. The film, which stars Oscar-winner Charlize Theron (Monster), describes a successful class action lawsuit brought against a mining company by 15 women who claimed that they were victims of sexual harassment. Although the Iron Range Resources Board (IRRB) voted 8-4 to support the film with the tax rebate, noting that it could pump millions of dollars into the local economy, the chairman of the board, Sandy Layman, voted in opposition. Another opponent, Joe Begich, remarked: "Why do we want to support a movie that will be a black eye for the area? ... That makes no sense to me." But last week, the Duluth News Tribune observed in an editorial that the only people who would be embarrassed by the film "are the minority whose attitudes toward women in the workplace spawned it." Nevertheless, on Wednesday a spokesman for Gov. Tim Pawlenty said that the governor supports the IRRB chairman's position and will veto the tax break. Warner Bros. has indicated that without it, the film may be shot in New Mexico.

[AP]

1. Doesn't the constitution forbid selectively applying the law?

And doesn't it also prohibit content-based differing treatment of speach?

It's sort of outrageious that the government can essentially give away taxpayer money on a case-by-case basis. If they think any particular case insults the corporations supporting the government, they won't give away taxpayer money. But, say, the movie promotes Disney-ABC's for-profit hockey team (the Mighty Ducks 1-3), they probably happily allow taxpayers to subsidize that endeavour.

[LynneSin]

2. The only people who get a black eye

are the people who live in this region who will not reap the benefits of having a movie filmed in their area. This kind of stuff brings big bucks to an area which is why many states offer tax breaks and other benefits to lure films to be filmed in their states. Ultimately the tax break that they would give to have the movie filmed in Minnesota would have reaped back in money that the film folks will spend on hotel, lodging, gas, supplies and other money spent in the area!

[Deja Q]

3. Yup, hurt our economy more, Timmy No-Tool...

He's an incompetent as it is but this is out of hand. He and his master, *, support foreign outsourcing - which is a black eye to us all.

Timmy N-T wants it both ways. He wants his 3 stadiums. He wants to not raise taxes and cut social services big-time. The next biennium shows a $1 BILLION shortfall. We need the money. Yet he denies this. What an incompetent jerk.

[aquart]

4. That's not incompetence. That's active harm.