Duck Dynasty Cast: $6.2M Tax Dollars Going to Show, Report Claims

Duck Dynasty Cast: $6.2M Tax Dollars Going to Show, Report Claims
This undated image released by A&E shows brothers Silas "Uncle Si" Robertson, left, and Phil Robertson from the popular series "Duck Dynasty." Phil Robertson was suspended last week for disparaging comments he made to GQ magazine about gay people. (AP Photo/A&E, Zach Dilgard)
Jack Phillips
7/7/2014
Updated:
7/18/2015

Duck Dynasty, the popular A&E show, will get more than $6.2 million from Louisiana taxpayers, according to a report.

The Louisiana Budget Project, a nonprofit, says the reality TV show qualified for more than than $6 million in payouts from the state government, according to NOLA.com.

In a blog post from Jan Moller of the Louisiana Budget Project, “Although Duck Dynasty recently began its sixth season, producers have only submitted expense reports for the first three seasons. These fall into three categories: Total budget, Louisiana expenditures (the amount eligible for state subsidies), and ‘on-air talent,’ which is part of the Louisiana expenditures and denotes what was paid to the Robertson family and their co-stars.”

The organization concludes that Louisiana will pay just over $6.2 million “for the first 41 episodes of Duck Dynasty, and probably a good deal more once the producers submit their receipts for seasons four through six and beyond.”

“We know from previous studies that every dollar the state spends on tax credits brings in around 15 cents in new tax revenue to the state, which means the more money the Robertsons earn, the less money the state has to spend on road repairs, college textbooks, health care and public safety,” it adds.

NOLA.com points out that Duck Dynasty has generated a type of “cottage tourism industry in West Monroe,” the location of the show.

The report comes as uncle Si Robertson gave an interview as to why Christine Robertson isn’t on the show.

“I always told people, ‘She’s got better sense than the rest of us.’ But that ain’t the real reason,” he told Us Weekly. “Sometimes we film 12 hours a day, and she’s just not healthy enough to go through the rigors of that.”

He added: “But, ah, it ain’t no big deal. She wants no part of it anyway. She’s been married to me for 43 years. The last thing she needs is to watch us on a TV show.”

Robertson continued in saying that being a celebrity isn’t all that great.

“Celebrity life is not all it’s cracked up to be!” he said. “If I had a choice to go somewhere or stay home, I'd stay home. I’m a homebody. Christine’s the same.”

Jack Phillips is a breaking news reporter with 15 years experience who started as a local New York City reporter. Having joined The Epoch Times' news team in 2009, Jack was born and raised near Modesto in California's Central Valley. Follow him on X: https://twitter.com/jackphillips5
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