Rapper Ice T is expected to testify before the New York City Council today (Dec. 1) to support a tax credit on TV and movie production
expenses. [font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]
[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Along with Director Spike Lee and Tribeca Film Festival Founder Jane Rosenthal, Ice T will lobby a bill proposed by New York City Mayor
Michael Bloomberg and the City Council at a council hearing.[/font]
[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]The bill advocates a five percent tax credit on what are known as "below-the-line" TV and movie production expenses, consisting of
payments to technical workers, stagehands and extras.[/font]
[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]"Were losing a lot of business to Canada and to California," Councilman David Weprin (D-Queens Village), chairman of the councils
Finance Committee, told New York Newsday. "And this will help us be more competitive."[/font]
[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Though film production in New York City plummeted after the 2001 terrorist attacks - from 23,000 film days in 1998 to around 19,000 in
2003-it has recently recovered, according to the Mayor Bloomberg's film office.[/font]
[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]The bill must first be approved by Albany officials, though Weprin said he hopes the Legislature will pass the measure in January. Afterwards,
the bill could conceivably become a law.[/font]
[/font]
expenses. [font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]
[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Along with Director Spike Lee and Tribeca Film Festival Founder Jane Rosenthal, Ice T will lobby a bill proposed by New York City Mayor
Michael Bloomberg and the City Council at a council hearing.[/font]
[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]The bill advocates a five percent tax credit on what are known as "below-the-line" TV and movie production expenses, consisting of
payments to technical workers, stagehands and extras.[/font]
[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]"Were losing a lot of business to Canada and to California," Councilman David Weprin (D-Queens Village), chairman of the councils
Finance Committee, told New York Newsday. "And this will help us be more competitive."[/font]
[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Though film production in New York City plummeted after the 2001 terrorist attacks - from 23,000 film days in 1998 to around 19,000 in
2003-it has recently recovered, according to the Mayor Bloomberg's film office.[/font]
[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]The bill must first be approved by Albany officials, though Weprin said he hopes the Legislature will pass the measure in January. Afterwards,
the bill could conceivably become a law.[/font]
[/font]