Letter to the Senate: 2/18

Dear Senator,

I am a long time resident of New Mexico, and have worked in the film industry for the past 8 years.
I moved to Albuquerque in 1980, and graduated from UNM with a BA in 1997.
I do location management for feature films, and work with department budgets that range from $500,000 to $1 million per production.
I can personally attest to the fact that 95% of this money is spent in New Mexico, and paid to New Mexicans.

We pay businesses, property owners, neighbors, and crew.
This is an extraordinary amount of money to have access to, and we spend it locally, whether we are shooting in Albuquerque or Abiquiu.
Our department provides 3-5 full time jobs on any given production, and we have literally paid out millions to local business over the years.
This portion is just for my department:  locations.
In addition, the productions are paying for hotels, restaurants, car rentals, food for catering, and provide many more jobs for New Mexicans.

I understand we must tighten our purse strings now, but it must not be at the expense of the lively hoods of so many.
I emphasize this not only as a motion picture employee and union member, but as a nearly life long resident of New Mexico.
I am the one who processes the paperwork that pays the bills for some of the NM productions, and see the direct financial benefit to so many vendors and residents;
be it the property owner or the tent company, the security service or chief's overtime, the dumpster company or the inconvenienced neighbor.
I have personally paid out over 4 million dollars in the past 8 years.
I am just one location manager among many.

Please maintain the current rebate at 25%.
New Mexico must stay competitive nationwide to keep the film industry alive here.

Thank you deeply for your time and willingness to work with us.