Governor fears for the little people

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger today said he was concerned about the economic impact of the writers strike but has not yet personally gotten involved in trying to end the labor dispute.

“If I’m asked down the line, I will get involved. But at this point I’ve been talking [to people on both sides] but I haven’t been asked” to intervene, Schwarzenegger said at a press conference.

Settling the strike quickly is important “because it has tremendous impact on our state,” he said. He stressed that “the people who suffer the most with a strike are the  people suffering from living with very little money,” who could run into trouble making house payments and paying for school supplies for their children.

“I think that’s a sad story,” he said. “Because the studio executives are not going to suffer, the union leaders are not going to suffer, the writers in the strike are not going to suffer, all the people who have money.

“The electricians, the grips, the set designers are the people who are going to suffer because they are not getting paid and they are out of work.”

More news on the strike

-- Marc Lifsher

Comments

[Housefrau]

I'm glad the governor thinks that the writers will not suffer as a result of this strike. I'm married to a working TV writer who makes far less than half of the $200K "average" the studios cite. (I guess we're not as interesting as the few super rich writers so the press hasn't paid much attention to us.) After years of working for no money, my husband finally got a writing job -- which is now over as a result of the strike. We have two small children with whom I stay home so we have no other income. We will suffer as a result of the strike. But we think it's worth it.

[Housefrau]

The governor is wrong to think that writers are not the "little people." My husband is a working writer, but we make far less than half of hte $200k "average" cited by the studios. We have two small children, and no other source of income. We will be hurt by the strike. But we think it is worth it.

[MorbidlyAmused]

Well, Housefrau, unless you make less than 10% of that "average" and are expecting triplets, I don't think you are who he meant. I'm not saying you're not sadly impacted by the strike, or that your little strike is wrong; I'm just saying that he seems more concerned for people who may have to sign up for food stamps and welfare because of the strike, or maybe people who won't be able to make the next rental payment on their shoebox apartment which happens to also house two parents and multiple children. Not that you'll be having fun; I'm sure it'll be tough on you. But you might not think it's worth it if you literally wouldn't be able to feed those children in a few weeks' time. But then, you might. I'm sure there are many writers who *do* make less than 10% of that figure.

[Unions are necessary!]

Most writers I know are broke and uninsured. I wonder what the Govern-ator would say without the writers of his own film work from which he's constantly quoting? Hasta la vista... Sumner Redstone says they can go for a while without writers. It should be clear that this is going to be a long strike. Everyone get comfortable in their trenches. We cannot lose this one.

[Kathleen Salvaty]

Morbidly Amused, the governor said that he is worried about "the electricians, the grips, the set designers." I gather you think this is a cruel business-- it is, no doubt-- but not so cruel that an employed electrician or set designer makes less than $20K a year. I wish the governor was as troubled about people living well below the poverty line as you seem to think. But given that he has never shown much concern for these folk before, I find it difficult to believe that he cares now. He's simply spouting a well-worn studio cliche-- i.e., the selfish, rich writers are bankrupting honest working folks so they can get another BMW.

[MorbidlyAmused]

Poor Kathy ... hard to imagine anyone working in the glamorous entertainment industry making less than $20K, is it? Well, it *is* a sort of fantasy land. Writers have such active imaginations (this isn't directed at you, Kathy, but is a general comment) ... it must be nice to imagine you're not putting anyone on the street so you can get another nickel from a DVD. Again, in many cases I'm sure writers are putting themselves on the street. It's just too bad they're taking others with them, that's all.

[Housefrau]

It is the studios who are sendng the writers and everyone else on the street because they won't give up a nickel on a DVD. By the way, it was 4 cents per DVD -- and the writers had withdrawn that demand the day before the strike. The studios still wouldn't budge on giving anything for internet broadcasts and downloads.