Taxpayers are unsung heroes of economy

“The industry is investing in workforce development and programs, which will lead to better careers for our students and more jobs in New Mexico.”

— Economic Development Secretary Alicia J. Keyes

Consider it a case of the reviews not quite matching the script.

Keyes is correct that college film programs can lead to jobs and careers. Go ahead and take it a step further — New Mexico is lucky to have a jobs program beyond government.

But don’t let the “Give” in the “Give Back Program” fool you. The film and television industry isn’t the one doing the investing, and its so-called gifts are by no means altruistic. More on that in a minute.

As Albuquerque Journal arts editor Adrian Gomez reported Sept. 18, film and television productions recently “gave” more than $200,000 to schools via the state program, which is designed to help build a production workforce.

The most recent donor? “Better Call Saul,” which doled out $68,000 to media-related programs at San Juan College, New Mexico State University-Carlsbad, NMSU-Grants and Northern New Mexico College.

The colleges certainly make good use of the money — NMSU in Grants and San Juan College have bought new equipment, including cameras and accessories, 3-D printer supplies, paper, ink and consoles to test video game designs. And the fund let students attend the New Mexico Film Foundation’s statewide Student Filmmakers Showcase in Albuquerque.

But it’s really N.M. taxpayers making those investments.

While film and TV productions might be cast as philanthropic, state statute (the Film Production Tax Credit Non-Resident Crew provision) lets them get a rebate of 15% of wages they pay out to non-local technical crew members and extras. (They get 25% for in-state crews.) But there are some strings attached to the 15%, one being the production company has to make “a payment to a New Mexico educational institution that administers at least one industry-recognized film or multimedia program … equal to at least two and one-half percent of the direct production expenditures” for non-New Mexico crew wages and benefits.

So yes, money is flowing in to college film programs. But it’s not really industry money; they give 2.5% of what they pay their out-of-state crews and get 15% from N.M. taxpayers in return.

New Mexico’s perennial challenge is churning out workforce-ready employees — not just to work in the burgeoning entertainment industry, but in all sorts of fields. Investment in education, especially in an industry that is here and needs employees, is a smart one. And the industry gets props for offering multiple viable job paths for New Mexicans and for the millions in economic activity it has pumped into communities.

The film and TV productions also get a nod for bringing a little homestate pride to New Mexico. Let’s face it: In a state plagued by dead-last rankings and low self-esteem, it’s fun when Tom Hanks is in town to film “Bios” and makes a fan’s day by singing “Happy Birthday” at an Albuquerque eatery. Or Dwayne Johnson chats with gym-goers in Farmington while filming the latest “Jumanji.”

But it bears repeating the real cost of doing business is shrouded in secrecy — that’s why the Albuquerque Journal has asked for a transparency website with up-to-date data on dollars in and out.

When it comes to judging the industry’s true value to our economy, N.M. taxpayers are the unsung heroes, be it for film rebates or workforce education. Their heavy subsidies deserve more than a credit in tiny type at the end of a project.

— Albuquerque Journal