The situation unfolding relative to the Washington State Film Office prompts my hearkening back to Father Guido Sarducci’s comedy routine—I think it was called "the minute university"—on the original Saturday Night Live. During the bit, he cited various subjects, distilling them down to what we remember about them after years of education. For economics, Sarducci said, we retain little more than supply-and-demand.
But even if we come away from intense economics study with only the rudimentary basics, these would be enough to demonstrate that at least one provision in the State of Washington’s fiscal year 2002-’03 budget proposed by Gov. Gary Locke is nonsensical from a dollar-and-common-sense standpoint. Simply put, if you’re losing revenue and jobs, you don’t cut an investment that translates into 100-fold more revenue and thousands of jobs.
Still, that’s exactly what Locke is proposing with the recommendation that the Washington State Film Office be closed on June 30, thus saving its annual, relatively modest budget of some $375,000 (see news story, p. 1). It’s estimated that during the last fiscal year the film industry spent some $55 million in the State of Washington. And for every dollar in its budget, the Washington State Film Office has generated in excess of $100 on average over the past 10 years, as computed by the state Office of Trade and Economic Development.
Additionally, the Office of Trade and Economic Development estimated that if the Washington State Film Office is shut down, it could eliminate 1,500 to 2,000 jobs statewide for such workers as truck drivers, caterers, technicians, retail clerks, hotel employees, waiters, bankers, accountants, lawyers and actors.
Layer this on the economic woes that have put Locke in the position of having to make cuts to begin with, and the situation only worsens. Clearly, Locke is under intense pressure to slash the budget in light of the state’s $1.2 billion shortfall, fueled in part by airplane maker Boeing Co.’s recently announced plans to cut up to 30,000 jobs.
Locke’s belt-tightening is undeniably shortsighted when it comes to the state film commission, which has gained a favorable reputation in helping to facilitate longform and commercial lensing throughout Washington. And the closure of that office would ironically come at a time when runaway production has emerged as a major issue, underscoring the importance of state and local film commissions to the health of the American economy.
Among all the runaway solutions being bandied about, a viable alternative involves incentives and progressive reform at the state and local levels. Eliminating a much-needed film commission is the antithesis of this movement.
Our sincere hope is that the Washington State Film Office will be saved, and that economic woes in other states don’t trigger similarly ill-advised proposals. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, 44 states reported revenue coming in well below projections thus far this fiscal year. For example, North Carolina’s revenue for the first four months of the current fiscal year was down approximately $170 million, triggering a combination of spending cuts and tax increases. Reportedly, Arizona expects a $1.6 billion shortfall. California may have to address a potential $12.4 billion deficit.
As numerous states face budget crunches, expedience can be tempting, leading to penny-wise-and-pound-foolish measures such as the proposed closure of the Washington State Film Office. More than ever, the filmmaking community needs to be vigilant.
