[newsletter]
I find it interesting that I have chosen two “industries” in Oregon to be placed on budgetary chopping blocks. I used to be an Oregon middle school science teacher. When the cuts came, I lost my job, being in my second year of teaching, in my late 30′s, and spend $40k of my own dollars to get a masters degree. I was over worked, under paid, and susceptible to getting the ax despite years of hard work, a masters, and an eduction system that is begging for people who would remain diligent and stay in the fight. When my job was gone, I turned to the one thing that I had been doing on the side, and decided, in my late 30′s, to follow my passion.
In the last three years, I have gone from losing my educator job to building a small production company from nothing more then me, a camera, and a computer. Creating commercial and non-commercial film/video work is one of the greatest jobs I have ever had. Now it seems, that is on the chopping block, because someone thinks it is an elitist game. I’m here to tell you It’s Not!
I took a $10k a year pay cut to become a teacher. I took a $15k pay cut from there to start my own business. I have done free work; lots of free work/ More than I should have. I have scrapped by on nothing just so I could keep my camera running. I have had people work for me for nothing all the way to pennies on the dollar just to see the project through.
We are not rich at all.
Do rich folks benefit from the tax incentives that we have? Of course they do…that is one part of the system. There are rich people, poor people, middle income people all participating in this. There are all levels. The arguments are always swinging back and forth, though, depending on someones re-election position. Awhile back we were told that people making over a certain amount should have their taxes cut so they could trickle down the benefits. The same people are cutting part of the budget with incentives claiming that those same tax payers are benefiting, when really the people benefiting are the middle and lower. That money hires people, buys food, rents cars and motels. It gets make up people and stunt people. It hires camera people. It hires editors. It hires talent. That money comes right back at us. None of us are getting rich, but we are making our rent payments, and entertaining you while we do it.
The film industry is an industry. It takes investments to make it work. To invest, you have to have something to come forward with that puts you in the game. None of us can go to Wall Street and say “I want $5million worth of investments, but I only have $20.” The same goes with ALL investments. You have to put in before you can get anything out. You want multi-million dollar projects, you have to start with that. Only millionaires have millions to spend. They have the capitol and the collateral.
Things don’t happen for free, or over night. To invest in Oregon’s future, you have to put something forward in order to secure that future. All too often, I believe that Oregonians want all the goodies and all the great aspects of a blossomed economy without the hard work and hard choices that come with looking toward the future.