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Hey, Mahk, didja know California is a whole state made up of suckas?
By adamg on Sat, 10/01/2022 - 9:03pm
Guess there's a ballot question in California about online gambling and somebody's dragging us, or at least, actors' portrayals of us, into it (really, would a true Bostonian want to be videoed making a point in front of Cheers?).
Compare to the greatest depiction of Massholes in a political ad ever, from 2018.
H/t John Keith.
Neighborhoods:
Ad:
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Comments
I'm still partial to this one
I'm still partial to this one myself.
I agree.
I watch this frequently. The way he pegs that coffee at the car is very Masshole.
We who grew up here whose
We who grew up here whose parents are no longer living but still have our homes (sitting on gold mine), aren't even aware what our words sound like. Because it's natural. I can stand at Faneuil Hall in the summer and charge all the fans of painfully embarrassing Hollywood stories and fake accents five bucks to hear a true authentic Boston accent for five minutes. Ask me anything.
massholes not assholes
Nota Bene
This ad was from 2018 (and we voted yes as a state).
Question 3 this year is whether retail chains can have more than 9 alcohol sales licenses increasing the limit over the next like ten years and whether out-of-state licenses count as ID.
No joke this ad makes me
No joke this ad makes me proud to be from MA
Right Back At Ya
How many additions to houses in Brentwood and Palos Verdes Estates have been built using our film credit tax giveaways?
Massachusetts makes the RI State Government's ball washing of Curt From The Car look tame when it comes to giving out money to California based productions working in here.
Yes, I know CODA was great and it cost the state $2.2M in tax credits. Well spent.
However, $20M to Free Guy. $17.2M to that Spenser movie, you know that epic Oscar worthy effort from the former Deer Island / Mercier Ave. resident, or $5.5M to a movie with Liam Neeson playing the same character he has played since they shot him in West Cork back in 1996. I can't wait to see the numbers for the well butchered Tender Bar or that Fletch movie which came and went like a gust of spring wind.
I don't want to hear "the jobs" argument on this one. The State says tax credits cost the state $100,000 per job.
They're not even jobs, they're temp gigs.
Tax breaks to create jobs is a good idea (see D Patrick and Biotech). These movie productions work in the state for a few weeks then all the "jobs" disappear. The people who like to pretend they're in the movies go right back to the Unemployment office. The fact that someone is going to sell a lot of sandwiches to the production isn't a good justification for millions in tax breaks.
Well Spent
Why is 2.2m "well spent" in your opinion on one film while not for others?
CODA's budget was $10 million. Free Guy was $125 million. There are a number of simple reasons for why one received more than the other, but I'm gonna leave that brain-teaser for you.
Now if you want to argue the specific project details of how these credits are dispersed then I'm not going to because I agree with you.
IMO, this is careful accounting by seasoned film professionals who are working within the confines of a set budget and a corporate structure.
It's just business, John.
It is our money
This is a bang for the buck issue/argument.
We get temp gigs subsidized at $100K per job? If those numbers are right, then the money is not doing the job it is supposed to be doing.
There are better ways to diversify our economy if we are shelling out so many tax dollars to subsidize non-permanent work.
We don't care about the overall budget of the movie.
It doesn't matter that CODA cost 10m and Free Guy 125m, we only care that they cost us 2.2m and 10m, respectively. That's tax payer money that is being given out by people who get giddy talking to Hollywood directors. The fact that one cost more isn't related to the problem.
CODA was a Massachusetts movie
CODA was set in MA on the North Shore. It gave money to people working in the fishing industry and to other local businesses. Besides being an excellent and important movie, you can think of some of that $2.2 million as being an advertising budget for the state (seriously, how much gets spent on ads to promote tourism?)
This ad is a 100 percent
This ad is a 100 percent accurate representation of our state.
Tell ya what, Johnnie!
Why not go down to the Liberty Hotel and see the old Local 25 guys down there in the vans that get paid to drive crew and actors back and forth from the movie sets and tell them the tax credit should go.
Good luck with that.
Just look for the yellow
Just look for the yellow arrows.
Can we account for that?
I'd really like to see the numbers on what our tax credits are buying us - how many jobs, how much economic activity, permanent versus temp jobs, spending on hotels and drivers and food.
John put out one number - what are your numbers? Make a case. If it is tax money well spent, let's see the receipts.
Is there any law stopping
Is there any law stopping California or any other state from allowing someone to set up their own sports book?
And please remember it is not the State of Massachusetts getting the profits from sports betting here. They are corporations. Unlike the Mass State Lottery, sports betting profits are for the benefit of individuals in the corporation that set up the book and not the state.
Uh...taxes
We then tax that profit and get a portion of it into the state's coffers.
Taxes
I was gonna mention the tax revenues but I thought it was self evident when talking about states as opposed to organized crime. :)
The screen shot of the video
The screen shot of the video is actually NYC.
Yes, because if you click the
Yes, because if you click the video it's an ad arguing that legalizing online sports gambling in the state of California would mostly benefit companies in New York and Boston (which presumably refers to FanDuel and DraftKings respectively).