Politics on the Hudson

Republican gubernatorial candidate Rick Lazio spoke out Wednesday against the elimination of the Empire Zone jobs program while the state plans to extend tax credits to production companies that film within the state.

Speaking at a press event outside of the Capitol, Lazio blasted the state for replacing the $500 million Empire Zone program with the $50 million Excelsior program while increasing the Film Production Tax Credit by $85 million, Gannett’s Jon Campbell reports.

“The big shots in Hollywood—the celebrities, the big investors, the big money players—they’re actually getting an increase at the expense of the average small businessperson in New York,” Lazio said.
“The answer is pretty clear: the special interests are in control of the special interest government.”

Lazio took the opportunity to take a shot at Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, the Democratic nominee for governor, who Lazio said took $324,252 in campaign contributions since 2001 from people or groups with Hollywood ties. And he put out the Web video below.

“He’s the standard bearer for the Democratic Party. He’s in the position of dominating the Democratic Party. He’s the number one recipient of Hollywood money,” Lazio said. “Do you think these people are giving money just out of altruism? I don’t think so.”

A former congressman and J.P. Morgan lobbyist, Lazio has been under fire from Democrats recently for not filing his financial disclosure forms with the state Commission on Public Integrity, which were due June 10. Lazio chalked up his tardiness to a misunderstanding of the deadline, and said his form was “in the mail, on its way” and an non-redacted copy would be provided to the media tomorrow. He also said his tax returns “would be coming soon.”

The state Democratic Committee protested Lazio’s press conference outside of the Capitol, holding signs that read “Greed is Good” and handing out press releases heralding “Wall Street Rick Lazio’s Top 10 favorite movies.”

Topping the list? Clint Eastwood’s “Million Dollar Baby.”

And Charlie King, executive director for the state Democratic Committee, knocked Lazio, saying “Lazio has engaged in a six month game of cat-and-mouse with New Yorkers: repeatedly promising to make his tax returns public and repeatedly refusing to say when.”

Here’s the Lazio video and Lazio talking about the film-tax credit at his news conference in Albany today.

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