IF YOU EVER watched THE WIRE, you were probably mesmerized by the performance of Wendell Pierce as Bunk, the long-suffering partner of McNulty.
So -- you at all curious as to what he's been up to lately?
Turns out, according to this nice little profile in the New York Times today, (article by Stuart Miller; photo by Cheryl Gerber) he's been in New Orleans, filming a roll in a David Simon pilot called Treme.
But he's been doing a whole lot more than that. The N.O. Native has thrown himself into the community rebuilding effort, trying to bring his historic neighbourhood back after Katrina:
A couple days back I wrote about Wendy Crewson, using her celebrity to try to bang the drum for indigenous work at a difficult time. Before that, I ran down the amount of Special Pleading that was likely to be at work in the cases made for "broadaster relief" at the CRTC and Heritage and elsewhere.In late 2007 Mr. Pierce discovered another project, this one in his own backyard. Pontchartrain Park, according to its neighborhood association, was created in 1955 by white politicians looking to maintain segregation. The neighborhood provided stability for working-class blacks, with ranch homes, wide curving streets and 200 acres of green space, including a golf course and later a Little League ballpark and tennis courts.
Before Katrina 92 percent of the neighborhood’s residents owned homes (nearly double the city’s rate), and only 10 percent lived in poverty (versus 28 percent in the parish of Orleans). Those who grew up there include Mr. Pierce; the trumpeter Terence Blanchard; Marc Morial, a former mayor; and Lisa Jackson, now chief of the Environmental Protection Agency.
But the neighborhood had the city’s second-lowest rate of posthurricane return. Many older, long-term residents couldn’t tackle rebuilding projects themselves.
“There were people talking policy at a 40,000-foot level, and everything was held up by policy conflicts,” Mr. Pierce said. Worse, he said, this desirable territory “was in the bull’s-eye” for developers. He fretted that they’d co-opt the area for wealthier (and likely white) residents. “My parents’ generation gave us this great upbringing, which is the foundation of our success. It would be sinful if we allowed this neighborhood to just go away.”
Mr. Pierce undertook a crash course, meeting with experts and sitting in on governance and technical sessions. He rattled off acronyms and figures, explaining mortgage credits or geothermals loops. “I’ve always been a quick study,” he said. “It’s part of being an actor, understanding the world I’m trying to portray.”
The redevelopment authority’s request for proposals received 15 responses, but Mr. Pierce’s was the only local group. Over three years his nonprofit corporation plans to build 350 homes, each likely to cost between $200,000 and $300,000; subsidies will reduce mortgages to as low as $125,000. Geothermal and solar heating and cooling will lower costs and earn mortgage credits.
“His folks lost a lot of memories there, but he is not just rebuilding; he is turning a page forward to what this place can really be,” said Irvin Mayfield, who’s on the board of the redevelopment authority. “It is hard to describe the amount of effort and time it takes to do something like that.”
Richard Monteilh, the executive director of the redevelopment authority, said that a celebrity frontman can accomplish a great deal, praising Brad Pitt, whose Make It Right Foundation has rebuilt six homes in the Lower Ninth Ward. But he added that Mr. Pierce is a more hands-on president.
There are times when you can't let the developers have the neighborhood, and there are times when you can't expect the celebrities to do everything.
Driving home from a dinner party last night, I got into a conversation about the cycles of the business. My passenger and I both lamented a bit from the Toronto and the Vancouver experience of how when the U.S. crews are rocking the service projects, everyone thinks the party's never going to end.
And it always does, and people are left scraping. Now, the sheet starts showing a trickle of shoots coming back, and there's a powerful pull to forget how bad things have been, how recently. But that's a sign. It's a sign of what happens when you don't control your fate.
Of course, writers in Canada don't have that luxury. There is no 'service' work for us. If Canadian produced shows go down, we go down.
I know there are lots of writers who read this. And lots of producers besides.
Today I'm asking you to read of the example of Wendell Pierce, who saw an untenable situation threatening his family's home and neighborhood, and rushed in to fill the gap.
Today should be the day you fill the gap. Spend a few hours, find your MP's number. Call the constit office and ask for a meeting. Draft a letter outlining your concerns. Send an email to Charlie Angus on the Heritage Committee... explain to him why you think giving "broadcaster relief" from their CanCon obligations is a terrible step that's an overreaction to the problem that exists. Crib all you want from the Canadian TV posts here.
Most of all, today is the day not to sit back and let someone do your fighting for you. There is nobody else. There's just you.
Be the change.
5 comments:
Cheers Denis. Thanks for the news on that front, and, as ever, on the tie-in to what's going on.
The thing that I think needs to keep getting hit on is the banding together - while writers (as a group) are not lowly in numbers it tends to look a little fractured if it's "only" us. By telling the government just how far it ricochets (to the deli down the street for instance), it may start to click in.
Maybe.
Hopefully.
Well. It doesn't hurt to try.
You don't need to be out alone on this. Remember that as a group the WGC is lobbying for you. And when it serves, they're also pairing up with the CFTPA -- the producers association, the DGC, and ACTRA, as well as other groups.
But the impact comes when you engage with your MP and your reps on a grassroots level, too. You can always ignore another report. But an MP who ignores a constituent who shows up in his or her office is looking to be out of work.
Hit them with facts. Facts you can get here..
You want some interesting places to start? Try this -- from that linked file above.
According to Statistics Canada, in 2003-4 (the last year for which comprehensive arts statistics
have been published), with an investment of $7.7 billion from three levels of government, the
arts and culture sector directly employed 600,000 people and generated $40 billion for the
Canadian economy. That’s a return on investment of more than 500%. Approximately 25% of
this gain goes directly back to tax revenue—which is more than the initial investment.
The arts and culture sector employs as many people as the COMBINED sectors of agriculture,
forestry, fishing, mining, oil, gas and utilities. Yet the levels of public money, industrial
incentives and support, and tax breaks that go to these crucial sectors are disproportionately
low.
Sit there and let them tell you that STATSCAN gets it wrong.
In 2005 Canadian spending on live performance was double that of spending on live sports
events. So it isn’t exactly elitist.
On average, for every $1 of real value-added GDP produced by Canada’s culture industries,
roughly $1.84 is added to overall real GDP.
Overall, in current dollar terms, the impact of culture industries on the economy contributed
nearly $25 billion to federal and regional government coffers in 2007. This is because of the
impact on taxes. More culture spending means more GST revenue. More labour income
means more personal taxes.
The Conservative attack upon the domestic film and TV industry is political warfare because, by and large, we are not their voters.
Writers struggle to find a voice. It's time to find it and put it to use letting your elected reps know you are not going to go away, and if they choose to side with lobbying and corporate interests, you will not be docile or complacent. You will work to bring them down.
It is time to squeak. Past time.
Ah, apologies. Not to imply an "only" us without the WGC.
By that I meant - in regard to the "service" portions of the industry working. The argument that comes up then is that only "we" (being writers) are complaining. Or something.
This goes back to the death of things like the Prom Arts (which, y'know, were much lamented and then...gone. And now aren't news).
It is time to squeak. Past time.
Perhaps we should try cat macros.
They'd be faster to read:
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/YPAx9ONYCPlyaCKTd0PkKA?feat=directlink
Going back in Mr. Sherman's Way-Back Machine to the sixties, when we wanted something important to reach the floor of the Senate in the US, we selected a SINGLE senator to bring it to the floor. A single senator who believed in the issue and then was able to say that he had received mail and petitions from millions of people. A single senator who was able to corral all the information and present it, argue it and win the case. A single senator who was put under scrutiny of the Justice Dept. because no one wanted to hear what he was saying. He was talking about "Silent Spring", nuclear proliferation and the environment. But through a single competent, prepared voice, and clout, he successfully made our case. He is Senator Ted Kennedy.
Our system does not work like that in US - where the Senate holds real power. We have only our MPs.
I think writing individual MPs is not the answer. Been there, done that for years to no avail. Writing the CRTC is not the answer. They've heard the argument and have all the stats at their fingertips. But in the end, they answer to the government.
Could the answer be deciding on a single well-prepared voice in their party and then in Parliament to make this case?
Find somebody who actually believes that culture and arts are important, not just a knee-jerk opposition reaction; somebody who is a great speaker. And ally ourselves with Quebec. They get this in spades.
We have to win Ontario and Quebec to win the nation. Just like in all our politics.
So, find a Paladin. Any ideas?
Deb I know you're trying to be helpful but at this point saying anything isn't effective is merely the further excuse the churchmice need to stay silent.
From what I know of the power of the backbencher in the Canadian system, I'm not sure the single advocate is the best idea. But even if it is, the best way to FIND that person is for people to do exactly what I've suggested. Individual, important, face to face engagement with your MP. If they spark, you note it.
Will Pascoe did just that based on me writing here last year and he said the meeting was tremendously productive. He opened his MP's eyes.
Now it goes without saying that now, anybody whose MP happened to be of the blue stripe would be extra valuable. But seeing as we're in a continued minority government situation, we could probably use new and fresh allies in the Liberal caucus -- with a new compact where they don't just take our votes for granted. Especially if we think they're the path, and maybe convincing some of our colleagues not to go NDP is the carrot.
The point is all of that bottom level grass roots activism is STEP ONE. You may have tried all this before -- but you didn't have the internet.
Obama rewrote the rules with his election in 2008. I don't accept that this is just a place to talk reruns and flamewars; and I don't expect that the individual approach will find us a champion. But if you want to find your paladin, there's a pretty good place to start.
Anybody who does contact their MP and get some constituency office time, I hope they'll write about it here.
Otherwise, sit back, let Da Bunks of the world take care of it and live shamefully. Either or.
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