PLEASE SEND THIS TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW!!!!
PLEASE EVERYONE..........CALL, FAX, E-MAIL YOUR REPRESENTATIVE.........
Congresswoman Diane Watson has stuck her neck out in
support of the American film and television workers by writing the attached
letter to the Producers of "Cinderella Man" and copying it to every
member of Congress. It went out today, Friday, March 19th and we need everyone
to phone or fax their Congressman/woman and ask them to support Congresswoman
Watson's letter. We need to inundate their offices. Write a simple fax saying
"Please support Congresswoman Watson's letter - and her efforts to bring
"Cinderella Man" back to the USA." ALWAYS give your name, and
union affiliation. Or phone them and say the same thing, making sure to identify
yourself as a constituent and a union member.
Here is a list of the California Senators and Congress: Henry Waxman
represents most of us -- but I've listed all the So. Cal ones. (If your out of
state, obviously send it to your local rep.)
SENATE
Barbara Boxer (213) 894-5000 f. (213) 894-5042
Dianne Feinstein (310) 914-7300 f. (310) 914-7318
CONGRESS
Henry Waxman (323) 651-1040, (818) 878-7400, (310) 652-3095
f. (323) 655-0502
Xavier Becerra (213) 483-1425 f. (213) 483-1429
Howard Berman (818) 994-7200 f. (818) 994-1050
Lois Capps (805) 730-1710 f. (805) 730-9153
Christopher Cox (949) 756-2244 f. (949) 251-9309
David Drier (626) 852-2626 f. (866) 373-6321
Elton Gallegly's (805) 497-2224 f. (805) 497-0039
Jane Harman (310) 643-3636 f. (310) 643-6445
Darrell Issa (760) 599-5000 f. (760) 599-1178
Zoe Lofgren (408) 271-8700 f. (408) 271-8713
Juanita Millender-(310) 538-1190 f. (310) 538-9672
McDonald
Dana Rohrabacher (714) 960-6483 f. (714) 960-7806
Lucille Roybal- (213) 628-9230 f. (213) 628-8578
Allard
Linda Sanchez (562) 429-8499 f. (562) 938-1948
Loretta Sanchez (714) 621-0102 f. (714) 621-0401
Adam Schiff (626) 304-2727 f. (626) 304-0572
Brad Sherman (818) 501-9200 f. (818) 501-1554
Hilda Solis (626) 448-1271 f. (626) 448-8062
Maxine Waters (323) 757-8900 f. (323) 757-9506
Diane Watson (323) 965-1422 f. (323) 965-1113 (to say thank you)
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March 19, 2004
Ron Meyer
President and COO
Universal Studios
100 Universal City Plaza
Universal City, CA 91608
Dear Mr. Meyer:
We applaud your effort to tell the triumphant story of James J. Braddock in
"Cinderella Man," one of our nation's greatest boxing heros. However,
we are deeply concerned by the outsourcing of its filming to Canada, further
exacerbating the crisis of "runaway
production" in the entertainment industry. For our economy and the hundreds
of U.S. jobs affected by the production of "Cinderella Man," we
strongly urge you to reconsider.
As you are aware, the phenomenon of film and television productions developed
and based in the United States but filmed in another country for economic
reasons has cost the U.S. economy tens of thousands of jobs and billions in
revenue. Studios choosing to film the Civil War-based "Cold Mountain"
in Romania and last year's Oscar winner
"Chicago" in Toronto are stark examples of placing profits over
American jobs. Despite the U.S.- based themes of these movies, many U.S. workers
were denied opportunities to participate due to their filming locations.
Your film traces the fairytale rise of James J. Braddock from a poor local
fighter to the heavyweight boxing champion of the world. His story is
intrinsically American. The talents and hard work of the U.S. creative workforce
should not be overlooked in the creation of such an All-American tale.
We are aware that subsidies provided by foreign countries to film makers have
put the United States at a serious disadvantage. Indeed Congress and many state
and local governments are currently working hard to curb the epidemic of runaway
production through various wage credit and tax incentive proposals. While we
continue to seek out legislative solutions to the issue, we hope you will take
into account the millions of Americans who have lost their jobs to foreign labor
forces by refusing to participate in the further outsourcing of U.S. jobs. Your
decision will not only impact families whose heads of households are struggling
to find and keep work, but also send a strong message that U.S. jobs in the
entertainment sector are not for export.
Director Robert Altman recently refused to shoot any more American films in
Canada based solely on economic reasons. Clint Eastwood also insisted on
shooting "Mystic River' in Boston. We note and commend Mr. Ron Howard, the
director for "Cinderella Man," for making his last sixteen films in
the United States. We hope you will seriously
reconsider filming "Cinderella Man" in Canada, and ensure future
decisions on film location will take into account their impact on U.S. economy
and jobs.
Sincerely,
CC: Harvey Weinstein, Miramax Films
Jim Brubaker, Universal Studios
Nina Jacobson, Buena Vista Motion Pictures Group
