Paul Sarlo
Two Senate Democrats are riding the film credit pony again. Sens. Loretta Weinberg and Paul Sarlo say it creates jobs. Gov. Christie eliminated the credit then vetoed Democrats' attempt to reinstate it at an increased level of $50 million. The administration says the credit has been disappointing as an economic stimulus. It's not alone.The Tax Foundation did a study and came to the conclusion ‘The only thing these incentives create is the need for ongoing credits and subsidies. As other states sweeten their incentives, productions move on.’” And the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities said: "Like a Hollywood fantasy, claims that tax subsidies for film and TV productions — which nearly every state has adopted in recent years — are cost-effective tools of job and income creation are more fiction than fact. In the harsh light of reality, film subsidies offer little bang for the buck.”
It's not clear what information Sarlo and Weinberg have to the contrary. Sarlo can't seem to make up his mind.
In September he said, “Let us just hope against hope that New Jersey taxpayers don’t end up paying for Snooki's bail the next time she is arrested. What a terrible, terrible and misguided waste.”
Then a month later Sen. Flip Flop said: “New Jersey’s film and media tax credit was a proven success, creating job opportunities and encouraging private investment in our economy.”
This guy is chairman of the Senate's budget committee and mayor of Wood-Ridge, so he's a double-dipper oinker at the public trough.
