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Details, shmetails. We're here to give money away!

November 10, 2009

It's more fun to be Santa than Bob Cratchit. Politicians have more fun, and more press, when they give away money in public than when they have to say "no" in private. That's why it's so easy for tax credit programs, like Iowa's film credit program, to go off the rails.

A trove of email messages to and from the Governor's office about the film credit program obtained by the Associated Press shows how this works.

Another e-mail in 2007 from Economic Development official Shawn Rolland sought the governor's availability to talk with Terry Trimpe, a movie producer who was considering a production in McGregor.

"Gov will have time to talk with Terry," Culver aide Brad Anderson replied. Lauren Burt, the governor's event coordinator, notified Rolland that she would be sure Culver had background on Trimpe's plans.

It's fun to meet with glamorous Hollywood types, but, as they inadvertently note, less fun to keep an eye on the money:

Despite the numerous e-mails, Culver spokesman Troy Price said the communications didn't deal with film office details.

"The vast majority of them did not deal with the operation of the film office, until this was brought to our attention," Price said. "After that, obviously we paid close attention."

Of course they didn't deal with the grubby details of the film office. That's all boring numbers stuff.

In the private sector, people learn to pay attention before they spend millions of dollars or get entangled in breach-of-contract lawsuits. But what fun is that?