They’re doing it again.
Liberals and their friends in academia are trying to sell another government giveaway – and this time, they’re wrapping it in Hollywood sparkle.
UNLV President Chris Heavey just penned a Las Vegas Review-Journal love letter to the “Summerlin Studios” film tax credit plan, begging Gov. Joe Lombardo and lawmakers to “greenlight this important legislation.”
Sounds noble, right? Training for students, jobs for Nevadans, a “new industry.”
But don’t let the script fool you.
This isn’t an “investment in education.” It’s a $190 million subsidy for billion-dollar movie studios like Warner Bros. and Sony – two of the largest corporations on the planet.
And who’s paying for it? You are.
The Spin: “It’s for Students and Jobs”
Liberals love using emotional bait. “Think of the students!” “Think of the jobs!”
Here’s what they never say:
States across America have tried these exact film tax credit schemes for decades. And almost every one has flopped.
North Carolina dumped theirs after finding it cost taxpayers $30,000 per temporary job.
Louisiana lost hundreds of millions. Massachusetts, Michigan, and Iowa all killed their programs after realizing Hollywood packed up and left the moment the freebies ended.
So why are Nevada Democrats pushing it again?
Because it sounds flashy. Because it makes headlines. Because it lets them look like “job creators” while handing out corporate welfare behind the scenes.
The Truth: Nevada Taxpayers Get Pennies Back
Let’s cut through the glitter: Even the state’s own fiscal analysis shows the credits will cost far more than they’ll ever return in tax revenue.
In plain English: Nevada loses money every time a movie shoots here.
The jobs? Mostly temporary.
The workers? Often flown in from California.
The benefit? A few Instagram photos and a press release.
Meanwhile, small Nevada businesses – the real job creators – get buried under taxes, regulations, and bureaucracy.
If we handed $190 million to Nevada entrepreneurs instead of Hollywood executives, imagine what could happen. Real jobs. Real innovation. Real return.
But liberals don’t want that. They want headlines, not hard math.
The UNLV Tie-In: Another Ivory Tower Sales Pitch
President Heavey claims the deal would “forge a natural bond between UNLV and the entertainment industry.”
Cute.
Here’s what he didn’t mention: UNLV’s film department already partners with production crews on smaller, local projects – without taxpayers footing a nine-figure bill.
This new “bond” isn’t about education. It’s about political access and image-building.
UNLV gets to rub elbows with Hollywood, and politicians get campaign donations from studio PACs.
As Heavey himself said, “Just imagine.” Yeah, imagine the cash pipeline flowing straight from your wallet to California boardrooms.
The Conservative Perspective: Stop Subsidizing Failure
If this were such a great deal, studios wouldn’t need a dime of taxpayer help.
Nevada became a success story not by bribing industries but by keeping taxes low and regulations light.
That’s why businesses and families move here. That’s how you grow a real economy.
So why start copying California’s worst habits now?
Gov. Lombardo should kill this thing faster than a bad sequel. Nevada doesn’t need to bankroll Hollywood dreams – we need to protect Nevada taxpayers.
Nevada Connection: Flash Over Substance
This bill isn’t about jobs. It’s about optics.
It’s about letting Democrats posture as “economic innovators” before the next election while taxpayers foot the bill.
And when it all collapses – when the lights go out and the red carpet rolls up – guess who’s left holding the tab?
You.
When liberals promise “economic development,” grab your wallet.
Because behind the fancy language, the photo ops, and the celebrity handshakes, it’s always the same story – they spend your money to make themselves look good.
Nevada doesn’t need another Hollywood handout. We need fiscal sanity, common sense, and leaders with the guts to say no to the glitz.
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