Vendor Letter to the House: 3/1

Dear Representative,

Thank you for spending so much time considering the health and viability of our film rebate program.  I am a small business owner that does about 65% of my business with the film industry.  I believe the proposed 45 million dollar cap will force me to close my doors.  I cannot imagine how I could keep up my house payments or how I could even afford to continue to live in Santa Fe.  The film industry has kept my doors open for the last three years in Santa Fe in this economic decline.

I cannot fathom looking at a potential market worth millions in revenue to my business, only to limit myself to just a small portion of it.   By capping the rebate we are effectively doing just that; limiting film generated revenue from flooding our communities through 7% sales tax, 12% lodgers tax, not to mention the thousands of jobs made available and services commissioned by film productions.  We don't tax Walmart, who exports revenue out of the state for a living, but this is how we handle the film industry who dumps millions of out of state dollars into our economy?  The film & television industry has generated $1.2 billion for state coffers in the last 7 years.  I ask you how much has Walmart contributed to our schools and public services? 

Frankly, I am not of the mind to have my legislators tell me how much money I can make in a given year.   I understand that the budget needs balanced, but I do not see how limiting film revenue in the state is going help anyone, much less teachers.  I am much more able to pay my property and gross receipts tax when we have films coming into town with their out-of-state money.  Film productions bring millions of dollars to our economy and I can't see where tax payers, nor our state budget suffers as a result. 

Please come to a compromise and think about the small business that will be devastated by a reduction in the amount of films coming to the state.  We are already struggling, please don't make it any harder.

Please restore the $60 million for film to the state budget bill.

Please do not pass a budget with this drastic cut in the film program.

Please protect the annual film revenue for the state.

In 2009 the state paid out $73 million in film tax credit.

In 2010 the state paid out $65 million in film tax credit.

PLEASE ALLOW A FORMAL REVIEW OF THE PROGRAM BEFORE MAKING SUCH DRASTIC LIMITS.

I will be watching this vote very closely and I applaud your efforts to keep film revenues pouring in for a strong NM economy.

Thank you!

Holly Roach
6392 Jaguar Drive
Santa Fe, NM 87507
505-554-7133