While catching up on my Memorial Day reading, I caught an interesting NYT article on Paul Sorvino’s efforts to build a movie studio in Scranton. It reminded me of a looming situation here in the Triad.

Sorvino “developed a deep infatuation” with Scranton 25 years ago while filming That Championship Season on location. He believes it’s time to have his own movie studio in order to use “all the combination of skills” acquired during his long acting career and Scranton’s landscape and downtown make would make a suitable setting for a wide variety of movies.

But Sorvino needs a little help from local and state government to realize his dream:

As he tries to become a mini-movie mogul, Mr. Sorvino — actor, opera singer, sculptor, Italian foods purveyor — has found it necessary to try his hand at raising venture capital and lobbying politicians. He has already convinced the government of Lackawanna County, home to Scranton, to supply more than half of the $820,000 shooting budget for “The Trouble With Cali.” But negotiating partnerships with real estate developers and landing state financing for the $12 million to $15 million production facility are proving more difficult, bringing with them complaints of familial favoritism and even a run-in with Pennsylvania’s governor, Edward G. Rendell.

Sorvino got the half-million from Lackawanna County, but Commissioner Michael Washo had one question:

Mr. Washo remembered the financing for Mr. Sorvino’s film being pushed through at a meeting where Mr. Sorvino showed up unexpectedly. “He was a big man in a small room,” Mr. Washo said, “about half the size of the room physically. Frankly, I voted for it then because I didn’t want to spoil their party. He’s someone who can bring a lot of positive publicity to our area. But if he was someone who had the ability to get capital — which he said he did — why reward him with half a million dollars?”

This is the very question local leaders need to ask TransTech Pharma CEO Adnan Mjalli when he comes to them threatening to move his company if he doesn’t get a generous incentives package. The money is flowing through this company: $150 million upfront in a potential $2 billion licensing deal, not to mention $100 million in venture capital. So someone please tell me why this TransTech should be rewarded with taxpayers’ money to to help build a new location. If a new lab is necessary for TransTech to ramp up its R&D, surely the venture capitalists who have invested so far will be a little more generous.

In Goodfellas, Paulie told Henry Hill to “just stay away from the garbage because he didn’t “need this heat.” I wouldn’t say residents of Guilford County need this heat either, especially not from a multi-million dollar company.