Support AZ Film

As many of you already know, the APA is fighting to keep the Arizona Motion Picture Tax Incentive Program alive (MOPIC). As an actor living in AZ, it's imperative that you contact your Represenative to ask them to extend the program. Below is an email template that you can use to email your local government officials. Many thanks to fellow actor, Pete Kelly, for setting up the email template. All you have to do is cut and paste the email addresses and body of the email into your favorite email program. Obviously, replace my name in the email with your name. Also many thanks to all involved in drafting up the talking points in this email.

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To: kcheuvront@azleg.gov
CC: rgould@azleg.gov; dmccunedavis@azleg.gov; rmiranda@azleg.gov; rpearce@azleg.gov; spierce@azleg.gov; bleff@azleg.gov; jwaring@azleg.gov; paboud@azleg.gov; aaguirre@azleg.gov; callen@azleg.gov; sallen@azleg.gov; malvarez@azleg.gov; rburns@azleg.gov; mburtoncahill@azleg.gov; jgarcia@azleg.gov; pgorman@azleg.gov; cgray@azleg.gov; lgray@azleg.gov; ahale@azleg.gov; jharper@azleg.gov; jhuppenthal@azleg.gov; llandrumtaylor@azleg.gov; llopez@azleg.gov; amelvin@azleg.gov; jnelson@azleg.gov; jpaton@azleg.gov; rrios@azleg.gov; jtibshraeny@azleg.gov; tverschoor@azleg.gov
Subject: AZ Motion Picture Tax Incentive Program

Greetings State/Senate Representatives !

My name is Raj Suri and I'm a local working actor.It is my understanding that the Arizona Production Association is fighting to keep the Arizona Motion Picture Tax Incentive Program alive (MOPIC). An economic Impact Study is underway and the preliminary results are showing that the information the Dept.of Commerce (ADOC) has provided to the Legislature is critically flawed and underestimated.

· ADOC is only looking at taxes generated from post-approved spending and not taxes generated from all production spending ($44 million versus $91 million for pre-approved applicants).
· While some of the post-approved spending was ruled ineligible for tax credits, it still has a positive impact on the economy and should be included in the model.
· The permanent jobs that are created are career jobs that pay an average annual wage of $39,788, which is above the state average annual wage of $27,917.
· Since the initiation of the tax credit program, the state has seen a significant increase in the number of productions, production companies, and total production-related wages paid in Arizona.
· The economic impacts of this industry are similar to the tourism and convention industry. It supports hotels, restaurants, rental cars, etc., but in a vastly greater way since stays are not typically one to two weeks, but rather months at a time.
· The tax credit program is not a "spending" program. No state dollars have been appropriated within the state's budget to give away. The State is not losing anything by having this program in place.

Please support the Motion Picture Tax Credit.
Thanks very much for your time,
Raj Suri
Chandler, AZ