And with that much poundage in play, it’s no wonder the ground keeps shifting under his feet.
Three years ago tomorrow, Baldwin took to the Huffington Post to rail against “Tax Cuts and the Republican Legacy.” He was very upset about possible cuts in federal arts funding:
If you ever want to get a clear and determinative view of how our government works, and why, go to Washington. Go and see your Congressman or Congresswoman. Sit down with them and ask them why the richest nation on earth can’t afford dance classes for little girls in underserved rural parts of this country that are affected by the NEA’s budget. And beyond the issue of NEA funding, ask them who these tax cuts are serving? Who are they hurting? What, to the extent that any of them can reasonably defend these cuts, are their real purpose? Is their purpose to starve social programming in this, the “greatest country on earth?”
Prominent, veteran members of Congress tell me that, yes, that is their purpose. These tax cuts are not only to make Bush’s wealthiest supporters richer, they are intended to hurt less powerful Americans by killing many of the social programs they depend on. That is the legacy of this Republican-controlled Congress. To hurt those who aren’t wealthy enough to write Bush-Cheney a big check. I urge all Americans to keep that in mind during this election cycle. A Republican-controlled Congress is killing important social programs that we all depend on, so that Bush’s friends can avoid paying a reasonable share of their taxes.
Well then, problem solved. Welcome to 2009: Social programs for everyone! And why stop there? No such thing as a bad government program at all. Sure, your taxes are going to go up, but it’s worth it, isn’t it? Alec Baldwin is a happy guy these days, right?
Wrong. From Saturday’s WSJ:
We’re constantly told that taxes don’t matter to business and investors, but listen to that noted supply-side economist, Alec Baldwin. The actor recently rebuked New York Governor David Paterson for threatening to try to help close the state’s $7 billion budget deficit by canceling a 35% tax credit for films shot in the Big Apple.
“I’m telling you right now,” Mr. Baldwin declared, “if these tax breaks are not reinstated into the budget, film production in this town is going to collapse, and television is going to collapse and it’s all going to go to California.” Well, well. Apparently taxes do matter, at least when it comes to filming “30 Rock” in Manhattan.
“Taxes are good, you thoughtless little pig… except when they affect my livelihood.” It’s like he thinks individuals and private industries know how to spend their own money better than the government does. Sheah, right! Doesn’t he care about those who aren’t wealthy enough to write Gov. Paterson a big check?
There’s one thing Alec Baldwin will never tax: his intellect.
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If Deceiver.com were around nine years ago, they would have talked about Baldwin threatening to move to France.
I’ve tried to come up with a smartass remark, but hangoveritess is kicking in…Hard.
Man I hate Mondays!
Turns out he just had to sit still and wait a while.
This guy complains just to complain, doesn’t he? What an idiot.
When will celebrities learn to shut up?
CM, to quote the Raven, “Never More”. Besides, if all celeritards shut up, how much less fun would deceiver be?
Good point, Swede0319. VERY good point.
The guy is a serial complainer. Since he’s not in any position of power, he will complain about everything under the sun.
If Gov. Paterson decides to start taxing the hot air coming out of the Hamptons, Baldwin will REALLY blow a gasket!
I guess it is his many degrees in ecconomics and business management that have made him such an expert that the “press” wants his opinion. Wait what did you say? He doesn’t have any formal education in these areas? Hmmm.
How can I considered an “expert” worth quoting without having any credentials?
In his defense he’s not talking about person income tax in this instance but corporate taxes. As a Hollywood fellow he probably watched a lot of California business move to Canadian locations and is standing up for the workers who would lose their jobs if New York movie jobs did the same thing.
Does anyone here really thing 30 Rock couldn’t be filmed primarily on a sound stage in any city they wanted? I don’t really think he’s protecting his job, or pocketbook at all.
Per today’s headlines re. AIG, when the government gives to the private sector the government may limit salaries paid. It seems to me that the people of New York should decide, before the reduction of even one tax dollar, if 30 Rock should be paying Alec Baldwin his likely high salary. Aren’t there out of work actors that will work cheaper?
StrawberryGirl – I was thinking the same thing, hell we might even be able to avoid the $1.5 trillion deficit
Let’s see here…does Mr Baldwin have a personal services corporation or other entities that are paid for his work? Where are they incorporated and to what jurisdictions do they pay taxes?
Do his production activities deduct expenses in California but produce intellectual property sold or assigned at minimal gain to a brass plate on a wall in Dublin, or Grand Cayman, where subsequent revenue from that production will be taxed?
Does he own things that float, fly, etc? Does he have entities incorporated somewhere to lease them? Where do they deduct expenses and where do they pay taxes?
My bet is that Mr Baldwin like most folks in his economic stratum employs highly-paid professionals to ensure that he retains as much of his filthy lucre as possible for his own enjoyment and that as little as possible leaks into the hands of the taxing authorities.
What a moronic post. Baldwin clearly falls into the top tax bracket, and has clearly said he wants his own taxes to go up, for the good of the country. You guys can mock arts classes all you want in favor of your boss’s next tax cut, but Baldwin has demonstrated his willingness to embrace the shared sacrifice we need right now. I guess sacrificing for your country can be patriotic or treasonous, depending on whether your candidate won in November.
Listen, just because a particular tax credit encourages film production in NY doesn’t mean he has a personal financial interest in it. Is merely acknowledging the effects of taxes on business hypocritical? This is the definition of a specious argument. Guess what? No matter where they film, Baldwin gets paid, and paid well. And then he pays his taxes happily, without crying about his lost motivation. What a traitor huh!
Like everywhere alse, New York is suffering from the effects of Bush’s recession, and Baldwin’s looking out for the people of New York that make a living when filming happens here. I know only wussy liberals care about things like jobs for the little people, but arguing the this particular tax increase will hurt New York does not mean Baldwin is anti-taxes. This comments section seems to be the refuge of some real knuckle draggers, but I’m pretty sure the original poster knew this juxtaposition was a damn weak attempt at exposing “hypocrisy.” Whatever, I really hope you conservatives continue your march to irrelevance by arguing for tax cuts for the super rich at the expense of programs Americans support, like arts funding. Carry on…
I used to think most celebrities were empty-headed, hypocritical idiots. And then they open their mouths and remove any doubt.
So I wonder what meaningless, brainless activity he was doing at the time when he came up with the perfect solutions to all our economic woes???
Maybe we’ll get lucky one day and he’ll be made ambassador to Backassistan and we’ll not hear from him for a loooooooooong time.
Uh, that was a pretty shallow posting, Deceiver. This isn’t about Baldwin, but the economics of movie/TV production. Municipalities bend over backwards to bring productions into their communities with tax breaks — which are far more than offset, in general, with the money spent on hotels, food, etc. by the production companies and their crews. The NY tax break makes production in the very expensive city economically viable. Baldwin’s right, and your desire to tar him as a hypocrite only exposes your own ignorance. Talk about know-nothing.
Sorry, I meant to direct that at Simon Scowl, not Deceiver in general.
Sometimes I think playing all of these different roles makes these people forget what it’s like to be themselves. It’s why they’re so hypocritical — because they’re just playing a different person today.
“Taxes for thee, not for me.” We get it, Frank. Nobody but the NY entertainment industry has good reasons to want lower taxes. Everybody else? Greedy fatcats.
I stand corrected, SwervinMergin. Alec Baldwin wants tax cuts for the same reason he doesn’t want tax cuts: To help the little people!
I was going to write something snarky but I don’t think I can top StrawberryGirl and then I saw SwervinMerginInTheSuburbs’s post.
For all the people who want their taxes to go up, there’s nothing stopping them from donating their riches to the federal government. Why should Washington, DC tell them how much they owe? They should grow a set, pay as much as they want and tell the government that they got no choice but to take it.
And wait a minute! Are taxes a detriment to production? I want those damn greedy TV and movie show makers to have some skin in the game.
Frank, your post is shallow one. Are you seriously arguing that it’s ok to cut taxes for the movie industry because otherwise it would be expensive, but that’s it’s not hypocritical of Baldwin when he argues for tax increases on everyone else? Seriously?? Guess what, life is expensive for me, so why shouldn’t I get a tax cut based on your argument? Get serious man and break away from your blinded liberalism.
Aren’t they expecting him in Canada… about 4 years ago?
trouble is this tub of lard does not see the contradiction.
Alec Baldwin’s such a douchebag it’s almost easy to forget how fantastic an actor he is.
How did Alec not get into the Tourney?! We may need to have a last minute play-off to see if his douche baggery is greater than Lohan or someone. It’s too bad he’s so damn funny.
BTW – Deceiver is now one of my favorites – just found you guys today! Now I can read about celebrities and not feel like I need a lobotomy!
So basically, Alec Baldwin is admitting that so-called “trickle-down” economics works…at least in the entertainment industry.
As for hoping his own personal taxes go up…I call BS. I bet he takes every loophole he can get!
Steelman nailed it – WE (normal people) need tax cuts. Hell, we need them a lot more than TV or movie companies. Not to mention they could offset the difference in taxes by cutting the salary of ONE of their stars by like 10%.
THANK you, Baba Yaga – somebody who understands the point of the post! Personal hypocrisy is meh; Alec Baldwin blows his top more regularly than a volcano in a Far Side cartoon. The point is that incentives – and disincentives – have effects, and that we can all, individually, be as full of compassion and brotherly love as all-get-out, but those incentives and disincentives are still going to be having those effects. Baldwin seems to have a bare understanding of that fact as regards his own industry, but somehow he misses it altogether for every single other endeavor on the planet.
You make it relatively easier, in some way, for something to happen where you are, and it happens there more. You make it relatively harder, and it happens less. Grow tomato plants on the south side of your house – tomatoes! Grow them in your basement – no tomatoes! Have a lemonade stand that charges a quarter – quarters are spent at your stand. Make it $0.27 – hmm, people seem less willing to dig for those de minimus two cents. (Make it $0.23 and you might end up with two cents’ more profit per cup, if you have the foresight not to have change available. Of course, you won’t get much return business. Go figure!) Tax cigarettes more – some smokers, those “at the margins,” find that last bit of will required to quit for good this time. (And your social program, paid for by taxes on cigarettes, suffers.) Create a litigious fog around delivering babies – it gets mighty hard to find a practicing OB.
Actors, musicians, artists can be very good at the incentive game, willing to bare their souls or bodies, to make themselves tremendously vulnerable, in order to convince people to pay to see their work. They seem to understand that not being willing to “give it,” whatever “it” is for their art, directly affects their material success as well as their reputations. Perhaps the fact that what they must give is so terribly and overtly personal makes them believe that what others give to their life’s work is of less value. Maybe that’s it. Or maybe they’re just a bunch of narcissists, by temperament and training, and that’s all. I dunno.
30 Rock is shot primarily at Silvercup Studios in Long Island City, Queens.
He got knocked out in the first round, but it was as close as, say, the popular vote in the last presidential election.
Look, it’s not that hard – lets say a move costs $100,000 and is taxed at 5% – the NY government makes $5 million Yay!
If the government raises the tax to 10%, they’d theoretically make $10 million… but…
If the taxes get raised too high, it no longer makes economic sense to shoot in New York, no matter how pretty the buildings are. The producers will take the shoot to Vancouver or Louisiana where the taxes are lower.
Thus, if New York raises its taxes on film shoots, they’ll actually lose money because the producers can and will go to other states/countries. Alec’s basic point is correct – the state stands to lose tax money by raising taxes (the same thing is happening in California).
Also, bear in mind, the producers work for big corporations like Newcorp and Viacom, so it’s not like they’re a bunch of lefty liberals.
Re: my last post – I meant 100 million dollars, not 100 thousand. I’m tired, not an idiot.
Funny, NYC gives all manner of tax cuts to the film industry to bring one of business that doesn’t create that much in the way of steady employment or revenues but taxes the hell out of every other business that does create steady employment. The City taxes the hell out of the tourists and wonders why convention business is going down.
Baldwin can be a sport and put his money where his mouth is, pay the top rate and take no deductions and then donate half of the left over to the government. They gladly take donations.
my mom thinks this guy is hot. eww!
Wait, the movie industry leaving NY for Canada?? Isn’t this the same liberal organization that bashes President Bush at every turn and says he is evil, but let one of their own raise taxes and they run off to Canada. Do I smell Hypocritical Scumbags? Didn’t Joe Biden say that paying more taxes was Patriotic?
If the Deciever tournament didn’t already start, this incident would have shot Alec’s RPI up a few notches. He got a bum seed.
Of course he’s right. The point is that he didn’t get it until it hit home. It’s not just evil Republicans who want lower taxes to stimulate the economy.
Showbiz wrote: “Look, it’s not that hard…”
Your point is completely correct, nobody’s arguing that.
But according to Alec’s HuffPo rant, he should be running around setting up movie shoots in communities with the HIGHEST taxes, because of all the vital arts funding his tax dollars happily provide.
Three years ago, Alec was whining that Cindy Lou Who needed new toodle-tap shoes.
Now, when the who-bucks are coming from Alec’s own wallet, he’s moving off Mt. Crumpit for a cheaper place in the valley.
Who would say “Screw You!” to Cindy Lou Who?
It would seem Alec’s heart is two sizes too small.