MovieChat Forums > Frank (2014) Discussion > New Mexico FROZE all state MENTAL HEALTH...

New Mexico FROZE all state MENTAL HEALTH $$$ as taxpayers funded FRANK?


Oh here we go again with the Fassbender, "it's a movie tackling mental health issues." He went on a talk show and claimed that.

Seriously? If my chart reading was correct, in 2013, New Mexico spent $50,000,000 to give FREE money to Hollywood millionaires in the form of treasury checks to pay the production costs of film (not as loans but rather FREE money Hollywood millionaire grants that don't need to be paid back).

FRANK, which Michael says is a "comedy" about MENTAL ILLNESS (WTH??) was made in New Mexico in 2013 because it received FREE taxpayer money on the dime of New Mexico taxpayers, or so I read.

But, in 2013, that SAME year, New Mexico SUSPENDED funding to state MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAMS. Here is a video of state MENTAL HEALTH WORKERS PROTESTING IN THE STREET.


http://www.kob.com/article/stories/s3144873.shtml
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So, basically, Michael is boasting about making a comedy movie where he degrades and makes fun of people suffering from mental health issues and tries to sell tickets to that movie claiming he is helping the mentally ill through his absurd mocking of mental illness by putting a paper mache mask on his head. All the while the REAL MENTAL health workers of New Mexico, who actually HELP real life sufferers of mental illness in New Mexico, are forced out of jobs by the Legislature. The Legislature deciding its more beneficial to the citizens to give FREE money to foreign Hollywood millionaire elitists than to mental health worker residents of the state?

The New Mexico Legislators having such concern about honesty with state mental health workers while dishing out $50,000,000 in FREE taxpayer money to Hollywood millionaires and actors like Fassbender. Do people want licensed and trained mental health workers helping the mentally ill? Or do people want Michael Fassbender and FRANK crew to supposedly help the mentally ill by sponging off of taxpayers to make a movie where he (they) turns mental illness into a comedy by putting a dumb glorified painted trashcan on his head?

How does the movie FRANK help mentally ill people when the state that funded the film chose to fund that film while that same year cut funding to state licensed and properly educated mental health workers?

Maybe Michael's next big New Mexico funded film can be a biopic about a displaced New Mexico mental health worker having to take to the streets in protest to try to get his low paying job helping the needy and downtrodden back??? Sarcasm intended. Yeah...I would NOT hold your breath. Just my opinion.

The displaced and now unemployed mental health workers of New Mexico forced to take to the streets in protest, while Fassbender takes to the talk show, premiere, festival and elite Hollywood party circuit to pat himself on the back boasting about what a good deed his comedic mocking of mental illness paid for on the backs of unemployed out of work mental health workers (taxpayer funds) has done for humanity. UN-friggin-believable.
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He says the movie made him feel anarchic? It's curious to me how Hollywood folks can claim to be so free spirited and anti-organized society when the movie industry gets $1.4 billion in FREE taxpayer money to make their films in this country from states.

Again, that is right, millionaires in Hollywood get their projects funded on the taxpayer dime. In some cases 40% of a film or TV's production cost is covered by state taxpayers. That is public grants to fund for profit movie companies.

I didn't watch the whole video. Did Michael say that the reason they filmed FRANK in New Mexico was because the production company got taxpayer funds to make the movie? That's something these actors generally DON'T talk about when they promote their films.

Here's a quick summary

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Kfl4Js1PPxE

And this...law professor explaining how they are fiscally irresponsible and unconstitutional in his opinion....
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http://youtu.be/OUZuFikDj08
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When I tell people about this, most people have no idea this Hollywood millionaire welfare goes on. I never see actors trying to get people to see the movies telling folks that their taxes funded the movie yet they will have to pay a theater to see it. It's absurd.

Above intended as free speech opinion written with pseudonym internet moniker w/o malice

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I mean, the bitter slap in the face to New Mexico citizens by Michael's callous comments about doing a comedy about MENTAL ILLNESS is that the state of New Mexico is, in my opinion, in a state of mental health chaos due to the freezing of those mental health funds by the government.

http://www.alanfornm.com/behavioral-health/

I saw an article about the attorney General of NM clearing the first company (accused of fraud) of any wrongdoing. After all the damage was done and something like 30,000 patients were affected by the funding freeze. See article for exact numbers.

I Googled it but I saw no similar audit of the film tax grant program in New Mexico. Despite lots of literature out there that states are finding these programs to be feeding grounds for fraud.
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 And New Mexico taxpayers pay for the catered MEALS of these productions. I guess it's not fraud if it's an unfairness that is allowed eh (sarcasm intended)?   
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When was the last time the state paid for your FREE LUNCH?
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  I have to buy my own meals or brown bag it to work every day. Why do Hollywood elites get catered MEALS? Other traveling business people write off meal expenses eh? Why can't they buy their own lunches and deduct it like other people do? Maybe they can afford it if they didn't have so many handlers and assistants and entourages to pay for eh?  


I also read that New Mexico loses 86 cents for ever dollar of taxpayer money it transfers to Hollywood millionaires. And fraud in obtaining film credits across the country is a growing concern for legislatures. For instance, an Iowa study showed around 80% of the film tax credits were improperly allotted. That's appalling.

I wonder if New Mexico has ever done an audit of the Hollywood free pot o money film grant fund expenditures. The Legislature was keen on targeting mental health for an audit eh? Doesn't Iowa's experience warrant a look see?

Any mental health workers from New Mexico out there to respond to this?

Above intended as free speech opinion written with pseudonym internet moniker w/o malice

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Have you even seen the movie or is your outrage in anticipation of your disapproval?

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Good News! North Carolina just joined the states that pulled the plug on hedonistic Hollywood film corporate welfare and said "sorry Hollywood, we're tired of giving you FREE money to make your movies."

http://online.wsj.com/articles/north-carolina-reins-in-tax-incentive-f or-movie-companies-1408537246

Too bad they did it AFTER Robert Downey Jr was paid a whopping $50,000,000 for Iron Man 3. That film extracted $20,000,000 from North Carolina taxpayers. Why didn't they just pay RDJ $30,000,000.for 2 mere months of work, and NOT sponge off of taxpayers???? I mean, poor fella, so he's only getting $30 mill instead of $50 mill... We're they worried he would get depressed and go smoke some crack? Well, I'm sure the citizens of North Carolina are glad to help him out....

I think since New Mexico and Louisiana are the most far gone with out of control lack of prioritizing, it might take some time before New Mexico decides to put its citizens before unnecessary movies like this which, quite frankly,(excuse the pun) if it was so great, then it wouldn't NEED taxpayer funding...

Galena

Above intended as free speech opinion written with pseudonym internet moniker w/o malice

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Thank you for all you wrote.
I had no idea that it was as screwed up as you say.
Paying Hollywood from tax money (that doesn't get reimbursed)SUCKS!
It's not just movies: car manufacturers did that to city after city (foreign & domestic).

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Saw the movie last night with two ex students and their two friends. I don't think the movie degrades those who suffer mental illness. My proof: After the film we had a long and thoughtful discussion about what it means to have a mental illness and its damaging stigmas.

The money issue you bring up is a different matter.

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