Bad time for movie center, senator says

From KRQE.com - Gov. Bill Richardson's Hollywood connections run deep. In June, he presided over the marriage of actors Harrison Ford and Calista Flockhart at the governor's mansion in Santa Fe, and he has been rumored to be a front-runner to take over the Motion Picture Association of America after he leaves office Dec. 31. And last year, with actor Robert Redford by his side, Richardson announced a partnership between the state of New Mexico and Redford's Sundance Institute to train Hispanics and Native Americans for jobs in the film industry. The partnership is set to be headquartered at a historic ranch the state purchased in 2008 for $2.5 million north of Española. Now, the governor is spending $1.75 million of federal stimulus funds to renovate the property, known as Los Luceros, for the Sundance project. The renovations will include a new 2,000-square-foot meeting room, an expanded catering kitchen, a communal bath house and new sleeping quarters. State records tout the project as a way of "building and strengthening the film industry in New Mexico" and "stimulating the economy through the arts." But state Sen. John Arthur Smith, D-Deming, isn't sure now is the time to spend scarce funds on such a project. "We certainly appreciate the film industry here, but the bottom line is how much can we afford to subsidize it?" he said. "We are now giving a tax credit of $79 million to the film industry. "In addition, they get interest-free loans. In addition to that, they're getting assistance on a studio right here in Santa Fe, N. M. So the question is: Where does it end?" Read more

Bad time for movie center, senator says