Lights. Camera. Action - but not too much action.

“If you build it, He will come.” The Iowa Legislature, in a bi-partisan fashion in 2007 and in 2009, passed film tax incentives to surpass what other states were offering to lure Hollywood into Iowa. Well, the film industry has arrived in Iowa - and it is big business for the state - bringing in film crews, movie stars and the best of Iowa jobs and opportunities. But wait…..like every good Hollywood movie, there is a plot twist ahead.

Dozens of film advocates and Iowans are now worried that a law change passed by Iowa Democrats capping the tax credits in the closing days of the 2009 session will effectively kill the tax breaks and this new Iowa industry.

Iowa Democrats are proud of their achievements and twittering away on how their insight brought economic development to Iowa. Well, that is nothing more than “Hollywood hype.” Congrats, to the promotions department. But, all the airbrushing and press releases can’t hide the fact that the Democrat’s compulsive spending habits have led to the dismantling of this field of dreams. So, they built it, they came, but the Democrat’s cancelled the game.

All the movie magic in the world can't cover this one up. Democrats are, yet again, trying to have it both ways. They need the economic dollars to balance out their flawed budget but don't want to give too many breaks/incentives. This is one tale that won't end well as Iowa's Hollywood dreams are quickly fading to black.


Click here to watch a video on an awesome opportunity Iowa has with the film industry, but thanks to the Democrats' tax caps, this could be the last pirate ship that sets sail here.

Wasteful Spending to Find Wasteful Spending

The Culver administration continues down the path of fiscal irresponsibility as it was revealed today that they are definitely dumping a firm from Minnesota that they paid $6.35 million to help find ways to cut government spending in Iowa. They're opting to pay a new firm roughly $300,000 to do the same thing. What a bargain! I'm sure that is what Culver and his advisors are thinking. Too bad the state has already spent four years and millions paying the Minnesota firm to find all these ineffeciencies. So what happened to all the suggestions they made and why can't the state simply use their recommendations? The contract was initiated by the Vilsack administration and Culver thinks he can now do better. Obviously, they also didn't like the suggestions. Hopefully, this new firm will offer some suggestions that are liked by someone in the Governor's office so spending this wasteful spending to find more wasteful spending is caught and nipped in the bud. Wishful thinking, we know.....

Republicans have been making cost-saving, budget-cutting suggestions to the Democrats for months, but it's fallen on deaf ears. The House Republicans even established a web site gathering ideas from Iowans on how to cut costs. Those suggestions were free. Free is good.