Well, here they go again.
Another so-called “economic development” plan that smells like old popcorn at a closed theater.
The political class in Carson City is falling all over itself trying to hand Hollywood studios a $1.4 billion tax-credit buffet. They’re telling us it’s an “investment” in the state’s future.
No, it’s a payout. A $1.4 billion gift wrapped in fancy language.
The same studios that spend millions lecturing America about fairness and equality now want Nevada taxpayers to finance their next blockbuster. You can’t make this up.
Here’s the setup.
A handful of mega-studios – Sony, Warner Bros., the usual crowd – promise to build a glitzy film campus in Summerlin.
In return, they want the state to refund up to $120 million every year in tax credits for 15 years.
They call it “incentivizing investment.” Translation: You pay, they play.
If this project is such a sure thing, why can’t Hollywood finance it themselves?
These aren’t struggling startups in someone’s garage. These are multinational corporations with executives who make more in one weekend than most Nevadans make in a decade.
We’re told this will “diversify the economy.”
Folks, that’s what they said about every tax giveaway since the dawn of time.
The fact is, most film incentives flop. States dangle billions, studios pocket the cash, and when the credits dry up – they pack up the cameras and move to the next sucker state.
Ask Michigan. Ask New Mexico.
And even when productions show up, taxpayers rarely break even. A state-commissioned report admits Nevada would get back about fifty-two cents for every dollar handed out.
In private business, that’s called a loss. In politics, it’s called “vision.”
The promoters brag about “jobs.”
Sure – temporary construction gigs, a handful of union slots, maybe a few interns fetching lattes for visiting producers.
Then what? Another empty lot when the next shiny project steals the spotlight.
What makes this even more insulting is that Nevada already struggles to fund real priorities – schools, roads, law enforcement.
But instead of fixing those, lawmakers want to funnel our money to Hollywood millionaires so politicians can pose for ribbon-cutting photos and brag about “creative economies.”
Spare me.
This isn’t conservative governance. It’s corporate socialism.
You don’t grow an economy by taxing working people to subsidize elites with lobbyists.
You grow it by letting entrepreneurs keep more of what they earn, by cutting red tape, by attracting investment without bribery.
Nevada’s competitive advantage is freedom – low taxes, open land, and a pro-business spirit.
We don’t need to sell that soul to finance someone else’s fantasy set.
The bottom line is this: The film tax credit proposal is Hollywood welfare.
It’s not capitalism. It’s not conservatism. And it’s not Nevada’s job to bankroll the entertainment industry.
If the politicians in Carson City want to help Nevada’s economy, they can start by standing up for taxpayers instead of bending over for Tinseltown.
Oh, and by the way, my Democrat opponent in Senate District 8, Democrat incumbent Marilyn Dondero Loop, is expected to vote for the give-away if it comes up for a vote in the special session.
She’s not on our side. She’s on their side.
The opinions expressed by contributors are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Nevada News & Views. This article was written with the assistance of AI. Please verify information and consult additional sources as needed.
