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HUH? TAX BREAKS FOR HOLLYWOOD?: Congress Still Playing Games in ‘Straight-Up’ Tax Plan (Guest in PST)
Most American taxpayers are paying close attention to Congress these days. They all know about the death of the business-as-usual 1,924-page omnibus bill and its 6,000 earmarks totaling some $8 billion. …Enough of this nonsense, right?
And on the tail of that, Obama signed a much more straight-up tax plan that officially extended the Bush tax cuts. Now that’s more like it.
But wait. What about the earmarks?
Two of them in particular caught the attention of movie and entertainment critic, Dr. Ted Baehr, who noticed, buried somewhere in the bill, were tax breaks for NASCAR-track owners and movie producers—breaks that will cost hundreds of millions of dollars in a deficit-alert economy.
So, did Congress really get the message on November 2nd? Or are they still addicted to the funding drip of lobby machines? Will tax breaks for a wealthy Hollywood—awarded to producers for production costs incurred in the U.S.—really keep movie dollars here at home to help the American economy? Or is it just another bad-joke example of legalized bribery and waste?
Both a Hollywood film critic and an expert on the business aspect of the entertainment industry, Dr. Baehr is available for interviews to provide a unique insight on this topic. As a guest on your show, he can project on the reality of how Hollywood works, how that tax break money will really be put to use and whether or not this is another example of bad government.
Call Special Guests today to schedule a fascinating interview that offers an unusual behind-the-scenes look at the movie business as it relates to the economic crisis on everyone’s mind right now.
INTERVIEW QUESTIONS FOR DR. BAEHR COULD INCLUDE:
1. Does Hollywood really need a tax break?
2. What exactly is the tax-break provision for movie producers outlined in this new tax plan? Is it designed to incentivize shooting entirely in the U.S.?
3. Is it incentive enough? Will it make much of a difference?
4. Will it really impact the economy, as supporters would claim? Impact it in a way that could possibly offset the tax-revenue losses?
5. With the advancements in green-screen technology—take the movie Avatar, or Sin City—how much do producers really need to shoot on-location in a foreign country anymore? Aren’t they already incentivized to stay home? Or are production costs involving technology like that about the same?
6. What do you think may be the unexpected consequences of this tax break, if any?
7. Where do you stand on the tax plan, in general? Do you think extending the income tax cuts for everyone, including the wealthy like those in Hollywood, is the right thing to do?
8. What else is going on in Hollywood these days? How is the film industry being affected by this recession?
9. Tell us more about your movie review source, Movieguide.
10. What’s next in your work schedule? You have the new book, Narnia Beckons, and the Golden Globes and the Oscars are coming up… Care to talk about any of those subjects?
THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE MAY BE USEFUL FOR SHOW PREP:
http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/subsidies-nascar-and-movies-obama-gop-ta
ABOUT DR. TED BAEHR:
Dr. Ted Baehr is the founder and Publisher of Movieguide® (www.Movieguide.org) and Chairman of the Christian Film & Television Commission, as well as a noted critic, lecturer, and media pundit.
Books: Amazing Grace Of Freedom (New Leaf), Culture-Wise Family (Regal), Narnia Beckons (Broadman & Holman), So You Want To Be In Pictures? (Broadman & Holman), Frodo And Harry: The Lord Of The Rings Versus Harry Potter (Crossway), What Can We Watch Tonight? (Zondervan), Faith In God And The Generals (Broadman & Holman), The Media-Wise Family (Chariot Victor), Getting The Word Out (Harper & Row), The Christian Family Guide To Movies & Video Vol. I & II (Nelson)
Publications: Ted’s work has been featured in such publications as The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Time Magazine, USA Today, L.A. Times, Washington Post, Hollywood Reporter, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and U.S. News and World Report.
Television Appearances: Ted has been a featured guest on Oprah, Hannity and Colmes, CNN, ABC, Fox News, MSNBC, and Entertainment Tonight.
Events: The CTFVC sponsors the annual Movieguide® Awards Gala, which includes $100,000 Epiphany Prizes. These “Christian Oscars” are held annually in February.
Personal: Ted Baehr was born in 1946, the son of Robert Allen and Evelyn Peirce, both successful stage, screen and television actors. Ted is married and has four children.
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