A response from Governor Carcieri

Through his communications director, Jeff Neal, the governor responds to The Journal's inquiry about spending at the film office as follows:

Thursday, April 17, 2008

Governor Carcieri has very serious concerns about how these state tax dollars have been spent.  While the Governor understands that attracting film companies to Rhode Island requires an extensive outreach effort, it is impossible to justify some of these expenses in light of the state's budget crisis.  Even in good fiscal times, these expenses would be unacceptable for Rhode Island taxpayers. 

Although these expenditures are within the scope of the film office budget, they do not comport with spending permitted for other state employees and agencies.  As a result, they have the unfortunate effect of raising yet another question about the value of the state's film tax credit program.

As you know, Mr. Feinberg is currently employed by the Rhode Island Council on the Arts, which does not report to the Governor. 

Bringing films companies to Rhode Island is primarily an economic development function.  The work necessary to be successful in this area clearly doesn't fit within the regular and appropriate limits under which most state employees and agencies operate.

If Rhode Island, as a state, decides that we should maintain our efforts to attract film business, we need to find a better way to accommodate and oversee that work and those expenses.  In particular, we need to limit the expenses being charged to taxpayers.

Consequently, in the coming weeks and months, the Governor plans to explore the concept of moving the film office back to the Economic Development Corporation.  In the meantime, the Governor's office will work with the Arts Council and the Department of Administration to strengthen the front-end approval process for these types of expenditures.