Mayor Michael Bloomberg is putting his weight behind a new bill that would end to tax breaks for TV shows that have filmed in the city for five years or more, and cut breaks for other shows by 20 percent.
"One thing about [the bill] is that we're not including those [shows] that would be filming here anyway," a City Hall source told The New York Post.
"Law & Order" has served as a de facto workfare program for the city's actors/waiters for almost two decades, thanks in part to a five-percent-tax break from the city and a 30-percent ride from the state.
The new bill, sponsored by Democratic state Sen. Eric Schneiderman, would pull the gravy train to a halt, eliminating the five-percent break for older shows and scaling back to four percent the break for newer shows. The state tax breaks would remain the same.
Critics of the measure say it would jeopardize hundreds of jobs and millions in revenues, according to Queens Assemblyman Michael Gianaris
"For every 'Law & Order' or 'Saturday Night Live,' I can name you 10 or 12 shows that come here specifically for the incentives," Gianaris told the Post.
Queens, it just so happens, is home to Silver Cup Studios, where "30 Rock," "Gossip Girl" and "In Treatment" are still filmed, but which lost "Fringe" -- and more than 100 jobs -- earlier this year when the show bolted for Vancouver's TV-friendly tax breaks.
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So Gianaris has a bill of his own that would triple city tax incentives, but he says he'd be satisfied with maintaining the 5-percent break.
"I'm hopeful this will be resolved by the end the month," he said. "A straight extension of the existing program . . . would at least give us some time to find a permanent solution."
