Movies

[MadVlad]

So, as we all know, as of July 1st, the State of Connecticut has installed some lucrative tax incentives for movies to be made in the State. This has already borne fruit with at least 4 movies slated to film here, including one currently being filmed in Meriden that is hush-hush for whatever reason. Thinking to myself, this is exactly the type of things we need for the State. Diversty in business is never bad, I'm just wondering why the State doesn't create incentives for other business' to remain and/or move business here. I read an article over the last few days about a mortgage company from Middletown that wanted to stay in-state and how it was painful to deal with the State (while other States like North Carolina and Arizona laid out the red carpet for them, but luckily for us, the guy wanted to stay in CT). Any ideas why the State will go crazy and bend over backwards for movie groups, but not for regular business?

[Yankee.Peddler]

I read the Courant article this morning. I'm glad to see that Connecticut is working to secure a foothold in the movie industry -- even if Utopia never comes into fruition.

I do not understand why the State does not do all that it can to lure other industries. In fact, it seems to endorse long-standing policies that actually encourage industries to leave! There are two that come to mind. One is the State tax levied on equipment and machinery; another is the property tax structure that taxes land with buildings higher than land without buildings.

The State motto is "Qui Transulit Sustinet" -- "He who transplanted sustains." I swear the State government has long interpreted the motto as "...He who transplanted outside Connecticut sustains!"

[drc72]

Giving tax credits to the movie industry is a great start, but the state still needs to do a lot more to make CT more business friendly. I was surprized myself how lax the state was, in trying to keep that Middletown mortgage company in state.