Dave Thrasher Comes To My Rescue!

Here's what my dear pal wrote on a few group pages in Facebook:

I've been with Gene Hamilton and Jay Villwock on a few of the occasions that they've been to the Capitol and with 150 legislators milling about (100 Representatives of the House and 50 Senators of the Senate) it is a very difficult job to know who to talk to, let alone keep track of who is who. I think Gene has done a phenomenal job of remembering everything each time and it is surprising that a mis-indentification hasn't happened earlier. It is certainly not a fatal error and Gene made a very strong effort to correct the problem. For all of his and Jay's efforts, they deserve our recognition and for us to jump in and help.

Now that the real perpetrator of this ridiculously small $150,000 budget counter-proposal has been identified, Representative Jason Schultz, we can write him (at jason.schultz@legis.state.ia.us ) and fill him in on the facts.

As it stands, the $400,000 merely gets us a horse in the race. It starts off mired in the muddy back stretch while the others are furlongs ahead on dryer ground. What Schultz's counter-proposal does is cut off three of the horse's legs so we can see if "Stumpy" can hop fast enough to catch up with the pack or is lucky enough to have the other horses stop for a rest. If we want a horse (a new Iowa Film Office) in the race in order to win the prize (paying film and television productions shot in Iowa) then we need to give it at least reasonable odds by funding it fully.

(photo: Dave Thrasher)

Untitled But Sincere Remorse

CORRECTION to previous post!!!

I misidentified the person Jay and I met on the steps yesterday who said he was responsible for setting the "floor" of the IFO budget figure at $150,000. It was NOT David Jacoby, who favors us, but it WAS Schleswig, Iowa Republican Jason Schultz. Man, I am so sorry about that. If you read the article below you will see that I made the necessary corrections. My apologies to Mr. Jacoby!!!!

Write for What's Right!

Before I begin to describe the very productive and successful day Jay Villwock and I enjoyed at the Iowa State House today, I want to first thank those of you who took the time to write to Iowa legislators. I have received reports from several people who say they did indeed write and that they even received responses from some of them. Remember, it's true that the "squeaky wheel gets the grease". The more emails and letters and phone calls and face-to-face visits a legislator gets the better the chances of the Iowa Film Office being sufficiently funded with the $400,000 Iowa Governor Terry Branstad recommended in his budget report.

Shortly after arriving at the Iowa Capitol Building, we met Rep. Dan Kelley. I showed him the list of members on the Economic Development Appropriations sub committee and he made a note of several of his colleagues to share his positive feelings for getting film making back in this state. We also briefly spoke with Senator Joe Seng, one of our strongest allies. Coralville Representative David Jacoby passed nearby and we spoke very briefly with him, too. He seemed very much in support of the governor's Iowa Film Office recommendation. He has always been very friendly with Jay and myself.

I was about to drop a note in the office of the governor's Director of Budget and Management, David Roederer, when he spotted us in the lobby of his office and waved us in. We talked about the missing locations files from the IFO and he said he'd try to track down information as to the whereabouts of that information. Jay and I updated him regarding who we felt were supportive within the Iowa legislature.

As we were leaving the Capitol and were descending the stairs from the east side of the building, we ran into Schleswig, Iowa Republican Jason Schultz, who is the chairman of the committee mentioned above. When Jay and I urged him to support the governor's budget allocation recommendation of $400,000, he said many groups are asking for money and implied that he was inclined to approve of far less than what the IFO truly needs. In fact, he said he was the one who set "the floor" for the IFO budget amount, which means his suggested sum of $150,000 to the Iowa House would be the lowest possible amount the IFO would receive. Furthermore, I received a note from someone who wrote to Rep. Jacoby regarding the film office situation and he told the writer, "the republicans are dead set against" the film industry in Iowa. Considering that the governor is a republican I have trouble with this claim.

Thank you, everyone, for your help. I feel, for the moment anyway, that there is an increasing surge of support to fund the Iowa Film Office sufficiently, so please keep those emails and calls going to those Iowa legislators!

gene l. hamilton

The Opening Salvo

This is my first email letter to the Economic Development Appropriations Sub Committee of the Iowa House and Senate. I encourage everyone to write your legislators to fully fund the new Iowa Film Office, especially the members of these committees. Be sure to share your strategies with us. What follows addresses the perception of some legislators that all film producers are dishonest, which needs to be discredited right away.


Subject: The New Iowa Film Office is Not the Old Iowa Film Office

From what I've been hearing, there is an attitude going around the statehouse that most film producers are dishonest and therefore don't deserve anything, or at least very much. I would like to address that issue first.

This whole perception came out of the problems that arose out of the scandal involving the film tax credits and the subsequent coverage of the issue from the press, particularly the Des Moines Register .

Before you consider going along with this perception, think about this:

Anytime you have a situation where money is being given away, you are going to attract greedy, dishonest individuals. Thieves are attracted to anything where they think they may be able to get something for nothing. Because of the loose way the law and the subsequent contracts were written, a higher percentage of this population was attracted by the lures of our film tax credit than would have normally considered coming here.

When the old Iowa Film Office and the film tax credit were shut down it certainly brought this fraud to a halt but it also did a lot of harm to legitimate producers too. Many productions were forced to shut down or to move from the state.

The movie "Cedar Rapids" (which ended up getting a lot of positive buzz from the press) did in fact not end up being shot in its namesake city. No, other than for a few quick establishing shots, it ended up being filmed in Ann Arbor, Michigan - a bonus for Michigan's economy and a deficit for ours.

Contracts were broken and productions scuttled for legitimate producers. Meanwhile, the efforts to prosecute the dishonest ones were hampered by the gaping loopholes left in the law and not written into the contracts.

We need at least a new Iowa Film Office to make it up to the legitimate producers and repair our state's reputation - an adequately funded one.

An adequately funded Iowa Film Office is not something we've quite managed to do in the past. The results have reflected this.

The original Iowa Film Office under Wendol Jarvis (the same man being considered to run the new Iowa Film Office) was a little short of what it needed to operate effectively but nonetheless did manage to bring a few higher profile to Iowa which helped to boost its reputation, the most famous of which were "The Bridges of Madison County" and "Field of Dreams". The state even managed to wrangle an slogan ("Fields of Opportunity") for economic development out of the latter film.

But Wendol Jarvis did not stay. Why? Because the budget of the office was cut to levels where he no longer wanted to try to do the job. Not enough money, no more miracles.

The transitional Iowa Film Office under Steve Schott inherited this skimpy budget. Because of the budget, Mr. Schott could only work on a part-time basis - hardly enough time to promote Iowa to filmmakers, build up a database of Iowa locations, maintain an Iowa Production Guide and find ways to compete with the new competitive threat from other states - tax incentives.

For whatever reasons, Steve Schott's contract was not renewed and Tom Wheeler was appointed to the job of manager. In his capacity in the old Iowa Film Office, Tom Wheeler was not very effective. There was little money to do anything to attract film activity to Iowa and the salary offered by the state for the position of Film Office Manager only could pay for someone of Mr. Wheeler's qualifications which it turned out weren't too high.

The Iowa Film Tax Credits were passed with Wheeler's encouragement and it did manage to produce a gold rush of a sort for film production in Iowa. But it was based on a foundation of sand. It was not sustainable, it drained the treasury, and it attracted greedy fly-by-night operators who had little intention of actually getting films on the screen. They only wanted to collect money and make their fortunes.

When the film tax credit came into being, funding for the old Iowa Film Office was cut even further. There was no additional money provided to hire an expert in film tax credits who could have recognized the potential problems and cut them off. We, of course, know how that turned out.

A key component to the ineffectiveness of the previous incarnations of the Iowa Film Office was money - as in not enough of it. In order to save a few pennies, Iowa opened itself up to losing millions of dollars.

Which brings us to the subject line of my message.

What is being proposed is a new Iowa Film Office, not the old one. This new Iowa Film Office shouldn't need the trick of film tax credits to do its job, not if it has the resources to do its job. Film tax credits shouldn't even be part of the question by the end of this session since, as I understand it, the now dormant film tax credits are due to be axed.

The new Iowa Film Office, in order not to have the problems of the previous Iowa Film Offices needs to be adequately funded. The proposed $400,000 is the actual estimated cost to do all that needs to be done. It is not some inflated figure invented in order to trick you into negotiating down to the actual level.

The new Iowa Film Office essentially has to start out from scratch since there is little to no physical elements left over from the previous Iowa Film Offices to build upon. All that is gone. The locations database was lost when the computers were reclaimed and wiped clean. The same with the Iowa Production Guide. Until this is rebuilt, it will be difficult for any potential film to be shot in Iowa to find qualified crew members who live here.

Not only must the new Iowa Film Office start from zero but, because of the old baggage left over from the mishandling of the film tax credit situation, it will have to start out behind.

There are a lot of relationships to repair, a lot of bruised feelings, and a whole lot of coaxing to be done to encourage legitimate producers to consider coming back to the state. To do all this traveling, not to mention build up the infrastructure, is going to take money - the estimated amount, not the cut-rate amount of the counter-proposal.

None of these very sensitive negotiations can be phoned in. It has to be face-to-face. If producers learn that the state has cut the opening operating budget from its original $400,000 to $125,000 or some point in between, it will reinforce our reputation of a place that takes away - a place unfriendly to film production. Again, these are the legitimate, honest film producers we are talking about - the ones that got burned by the handling of the old Iowa Film Office's film tax credit fiasco - the ones the Iowa Film Office was created to attract in the first place.

Don't think that a desk and a phone is going to be enough to overcome this damage and don't think that "economizing" is going to be enough to give the new Iowa Film Office the resources it needs to overcome this situation and to rebuild its infrastructure. $400,000 is what it needs and that is a very modest amount compared to what it could be.

And don't tell me that the state can't afford it. The article in the Des Moines Register about the state giving $800 million in tax credits to established, profitable big corporations would certainly indicate that $400,000 is a drop in the bucket in proportion to the whole state budget.

Don't cheap out. Fully fund the new Iowa Film Office.

-Dave

I Ain't Gonna Give Up Asking For Your Help

Dave Thrasher and Bill Hamilton Posted some thoughts pertaining to our present Iowa film industry situation on my Facebook Group Page: I.A.C.T. (Iowa Actors and Crew Together and Producers, Too). Iowa Senator Bill Dotzler, Jr. replied with a very sobering comment. Here is his comment:

"Great Points and I'm all ears! The senate budget which I chair has $200,000 of the Governors recommendations in it for the film office. I know I'm not the only person who supports the office in the legislature, but in view of what happened they are avoiding it like the plague. Legislators need to hear from you and that's the bottom line. Senator Bill Dotzler"

Some Iowa legislators think ALL movie makers are crooks. Somehow they don't remember that the majority of films made here were made by honest producers. They don't understand that the new Iowa film office will NOT include tax incentives. I know from speaking face to face with them that many simply do NOT know the facts. They need to hear from you. I have posted the addresses for Iowa legislators several times for folks to copy and paste and that info is easily available on line.

Unless you are proud that Iowa is only known for being an insurance industry center, a major hog industry state, a soybeans and corn capitol, a state without creative people, you really have to make some noise and you need to make it NOW!

I want Iowa to be a place for creativity and I hope you do as well.

gino

Urgent Action Is Required Now..Please Help!!!

There are only eight weeks remaining for any chance of reviving the Iowa Film Office and if it isn't done this year it will most likely not happen next year. This is the last chance and here's what you need to do if you want film production to resume in Iowa again. There is a very important legislative committee which will decide on the sum to be allocated for the Iowa Film Office. Governor Branstad recommended $400,000, a figure which is not inflated but is in fact based on the exact needs of that office.

The committee is The Economic Development Appropriations Sub Committee and here are the members of that group and their individual email addresses. Of the senators, I personally know that Senators Dotzler and Seng are very much in support of the IFO and I and Jay Villwock have spoken with these two generous senators many times.

Take action now but simply copying and pasting information and send your thoughts, such as... The Iowa Film Office will not succeed unless it has sufficient funding. Governor Branstad's recommended allocation of $400,000 is what is needed for that office to do the job right.

Senators
Bill Dotzler, Jr
bill.dotzler@legis.iowa.gov

Dr. Joe Seng
joe.seng@legis.iowa.gov

Nancy Boettger
nancy.boettger@legis.iowa.gov

Rick Bertrand
rick.bertrand@legis.iowa.gov

Liz Mathis
liz.mathis@legis.iowa.gov

Representatives
Jason Schultz
jason.schultz@legis.state.ia.us

Mark Lofgren
mark.lofgren@legis.state.ia.us

Chris Hall
chris.hall@legis.state.ia.us

Bob Hager
bob.hager@legis.state.ia.us

Pat Grassley
pat.grassley@legis.state.ia.us

Mary Ann Hanusa
mary.ann.hanusa@legis.state.ia.us

Charles Isenhart
charles.isenhart@legis.state.ia.us

David Jacoby
david.jacoby@legis.state.ia.us

Anesa Kajtazovic
anesa.kajtazovic@legis.state.ia.us

Thanks!!! Do it NOW ... gino

Four For Film's Sake

After three legislative sessions, with the third being the current one still in session, Jay and I have learned that the old saying, "It isn't over 'til it's over", holds so true when it comes to politics.

We met Iowa's first Iowa Film Office director, Wendol Jarvis and his lovely wife, Jan, at the Capitol today. While chatting in the rotunda we were met by Senator Bill Dotzler, Jr., who said the governor's budget recommendations are facing an overall slashing of close to fifty per cent and that simply keeping the film office from dying is the goal now.

The senator said the House wanted to allocate only $125,000 for the IFO, not the $400,000 recommended by Governor Terry Branstad. He said he has a goal to get that figure to $200,000. When told that the IFO was plundered and that the hundreds of thousands of film location photos were missing as well as the Iowa Production Guide data, apparently so computers from the IFO could be used, the senator seemed genuinely surprised and disturbed.

While there, Jay and I spoke with a few legislators, including Jay's brief encounter with Senator Dvorsky, who gave Jay a cold shoulder when Jay mentioned the Iowa Film Office. The senator abruptly turned his back on Jay and hurried away - I must say he was not exactly polite.

I know many of you have written to Iowa legislators and also the governor. Only a mere handful responded to my emails. Considering that there are about a hundred and fifty legislators, to receive a half dozen responses is a sad result.

Despite these setbacks and disappointments, I urge you all to continue to write to ask for support of the governor's $400,000 figure so the Iowa Film Office can get actors and crew back to work.

pictured: Jay Villwock, Jan and Wendol Jarvis, Me

Our Governor Is Behind Us On This Fight!

I know that several of you have written to Iowa Senator Jack Kibbie, asking him to support the idea of preserving Governor Branstad's budget allocation recommendation of $400,000 to run the Iowa Film Office.

I think it would be a good idea to tell the governor how important it is to bring film making back to Iowa and how the absence of it adversely impacted your life. But also I think it would be good to thank him for wanting to revive the IFO.

He is behind us and needs to know we appreciate it. Here's his email address: Governor Terry Branstad governor.contact@Iowa.gov gino

Throw In The Life Preserver!

This is a critical time to contact key legislators regarding the Film Office. If the Film Office is important to your business please contact them BEFORE monday morning with this message.

Please fully fund the Governor's recommendation to reinstate the Iowa Film Office at a level of $400,000.



Nothing more needs to be said or will be helpful at this time!

Senator John P. (Jack) Kibbie
john.kibbie@legis.iowa.gov
Home Phone: 712.852.4140
Cell Phone: 712.260.2345
Home Address: 112 Oakwood, P.O. Box 190 Emmetsburg IA, 50536
Occupation: Farmer

Senator Gene Fraise
eugene.fraise@legis.iowa.gov
Home Phone: 319.528.6176
Home Address: 1699 - 280th Ave, Fort Madison IA, 52627
Occupation: Farmer
Business Phone: 319.528.6176

Senator Paul McKinley
paul.mckinley@legis.iowa.gov
Home Phone: 641.774.5784
Home Address: 21884 - 483rd Ln, Chariton IA, 50049
Occupation: Businessman

Senator Jerry Behn
jerry.behn@legis.iowa.gov
Home Phone: 515.432.7327
Home Address: 1313 Quill Ave, Boone IA, 50036
Occupation: Farmer/Agribusiness

Senator Jeff Danielson
jeff.danielson@legis.iowa.gov
Cell Phone: 319.231.7192
Home Address: PO Box 1191, Cedar Falls IA, 50613
Occupation: Professional Firefighter

Senator Robert E. Dvorsky
robert.dvorsky@legis.iowa.gov
Home Phone: 319.351.0988
Home Address: 412 Sixth St, Coralville IA, 52241
Occupation: Exec. Officer - 6th Jud. Dist. - Dept. of Correctional Services
Business Phone: 319.625.2125

Senator Matt McCoy
matt.mccoy@legis.iowa.gov
Home Phone:
Cell Phone: 515.681.9327
Home Address: 1717 Ingersoll Ave., Ste. 115, Des Moines IA, 50309
Occupation: Owner of Resource Development Consultants (RDC)

Senator Bill Dix
bill.dix@legis.iowa.gov
Home Phone: 319.885.6790
Cell Phone: 319.269.3664
Home Address: 317 S Walnut St, P.O. Box 220 Shell Rock IA, 50670

Senator Kent Sorenson
kent.sorenson@legis.iowa.gov
Home Phone: 641.942.6437
Home Address: 14358 S23 Hwy, Milo IA, 50166
Occupation: Business Owner

Senator Thomas G. Courtney
thomas.courtney@legis.iowa.gov
Cell Phone: 319.759.5334
Home Address: 2609 Clearview, Burlington IA, 52601
Occupation: Retired

Senator Tom Rielly
tom.rielly@legis.iowa.gov
Home Phone: 641.673.5878
Home Fax: 641.673.2957
Home Address: 113 N Market, Oskaloosa IA, 52577
Occupation: Insurance Sales

Senator Bill Anderson
bill.anderson@legis.iowa.gov
Home Phone: 712.898.2505
Home Address: 1138 Mason Ave, Pierson IA, 51048

Senator Wally E. Horn
wally.horn@legis.iowa.gov
Home Phone: 319.396.3131
Home Fax:
Home Address: 101 Stoney Point Rd SW, Cedar Rapids IA, 52404
Occupation: Legislator

Senator Steven J. Sodders
steve.sodders@legis.iowa.gov
Home Phone: 641.483.2383
Home Address: Box 723, 202 Fifth Ave SE, State Center IA, 50247
Occupation: Deputy Sheriff

Senator Sandra Greiner
sandra.greiner@legis.iowa.gov
Home Phone: 641.636.2293
Home Address: 1005 Hwy 92, Keota IA, 52248
Occupation: Farmer

Senator Joe Bolkcom
joe.bolkcom@legis.iowa.gov
Home Phone: 319.337.6280
Home Address: 728 Second Ave, Iowa City IA, 52245

Senator Dr. Joe M. Seng
joe.seng@legis.iowa.gov
Home Phone: 563.391.1627
Cell Phone: 563.940.0671
Home Address: 4804 Northwest Blvd, Davenport IA, 52806
Occupation: Veterinarian
Business Phone: 563.322.5522
Business Fax: 563.322.9534

Senator Randy Feenstra
randy.feenstra@legis.iowa.gov
Home Phone: 712.439.1244
Home Address: 641 Second St, Hull IA, 51239
Occupation: Finance & Insurance-Iowa State Bank

Senator Brad Zaun
brad.zaun@legis.iowa.gov
Home Phone: 515.276.2025
Home Address: 7032 Holcomb Ave, Urbandale IA, 50322
Occupation: V.P. - R&R Realty Marketing Group
Business Phone: 515.223.4500

Senator Michael E. Gronstal
mike.gronstal@legis.iowa.gov
Home Phone: 712.328.2808
Home Address: 220 Bennett Ave, Council Bluffs IA, 51503
Occupation:
Business Phone: 515.281.4610
Business Fax: 515.281.3361

Senator Merlin Bartz
merlin.bartz@legis.iowa.gov
Home Phone: 641.748.2724
Cell Phone: 641.903.9548
Home Address: 2081 - 410th St, Grafton IA, 50440
Occupation: Farmer/Laborer
Business Fax: 641.748.2725


Gene L. Hamilton

For Lights, Camera, Action, Take Action NOW!!!

FLASH! Just heard that we need to focus our attention on Iowa Senate President Senator Jack Kibbie. Here's what you must do now: email him and state that it is imperative to keep the funding of the Iowa film office at the $400,000 Governor Branstad recommended in his official budget report. Email the senator at this address now, please: john.kibbie@legis.iowa.gov

thanks... just want to get creative Iowans back to work....

gino

Write the Iowa House of Representatives ....NOW!

If you read the previous posting by Gene Hamilton about his and Jay Villwock's visit to the capitol, you'll know that we are in a potential crisis situation. A proposed budget of $400,000 for a reincarnated Iowa Film Office is passing through the Iowa Legislature and in the Iowa House some Republicans want to cut it down to $150,000.

Considering that the Film Office has to essentially from scratch after being looted and stripped bare by marauding IDED staffers after it was closed, $150,000 is not only inadequate but an insulting low amount. Computers need to be bought, enough staff needs to be hired, a film guide needs to be reconstructed and a whole new locations database has to be constructed from scratch and these few legislators want to provide the office with pocket change.

Budget cuts were a very strong factor in the decline of the original Iowa Film Office. At one time we had the opportunity to attract films like "Field of Dreams" and "The Bridges of Madison County" but then the budget was trimmed and with that the original head of the office left. When the office needed more money to compensate for the fact that other states were now offering film incentives, the legislator cut resources. The limited resources contributed to it only having a limited salary to offer a Film Office manager, certainly not the conditions to hire the most qualified person. And we all know where that led... And even after than, when film tax incentives complicated things, when it would have been prudent to increase the budget in order to hire someone who knew what they were doing in regards to film tax incentives they decreased the budget almost directly after the passed the legislation bringing these incentives into being.

Yes, the new Iowa Film Office - the new one that will be under the umbrella of Cultural Affairs and will not have tax incentives to complicate things - definitely does need the whole $400,000 in order to get off the ground and become effective at doing its job. If nothing else, it probably needs even more that what is being asked for. If only $150,000 is allocated for it, it will be about like not even having a film office because it will not have the resources to do its job.

Write the members of the House. All of them if you can. Most of them if you must. Most definitely the House Republicans. Show your displeasure for this proposed reduction and let them know that cuts didn't work in the past and they are certainly not a good way to get started this time around.

Here is a link to the page that has email addresses of members of the Iowa House of Representatives:

https://www.legis.iowa.gov/Legislators/house.aspx

Help the Iowa Film Office Plight NOW!!!!!!!!!!

The Iowa Film Office Needs Your Help NOW!!!

When the Iowa Film Office was shut down, locations files and the production guide disappeared, likely from someone taking computers and erasing all data just so the computers could be used for other purposes. When the Iowa Film Office opens again, those missing files will have to be re-created. New computers will need to be purchased, a great deal of travel will be necessary to once again establish locations for future movies made here. Various office equipment will be needed and phone calls and letters will have to be made in order to re-establish trust in the minds and hearts of film producers.

In order to do all of this, a staff will be put in place to work alongside the director.

With all of the above in mind, our governor, Terry Branstad, who brought the first Iowa Film Office into existence, has recommended that the Iowa Film Office be funded with $400,000. Despite this recommendation the Iowa House of Representatives is suggesting slashing the budget to only $150,000. When our film industry's best friend and fiercest proponent, Senator Bill Dotzler, Jr. told us about this, our knees weakened and our posture turned into exaggerated slumps. We felt as though our three years of weekly visits to Iowa's Capitol had yielded a pathetic result.

The budget approval process is not finished though. There is still a chance that the Iowa Senate will counter the House suggestion with a higher sum and that this may go back and forth in true political form. And this means that any reader of this article who wants to once again work as an actor or a crew person or as a provider of services or supplies to movie makers should now - and I do mean NOW- take a few minutes to write to all the Iowa legislators and say how vital it is to leave the governor's $400,000 alone because the film office cannot do a proper job without sufficient funding. This is supposed to be a legislature dedicated to creating jobs and improving our state economy and with film production comes many jobs and a huge influx of money to all communities hosting the making of films.

I think we should also write to Governor Branstad and let him know how important it is to keep his budget figure secure. We should thank him for going to bat for us, which he truly is doing I assure you all.

I have asked my dear friend David Thrasher to post the names and addresses of Iowa legislators on my blog, The Iowa Film Insider, and on my Facebook group page, IACT (Iowa Actors and Crew Together and Producers, Too). He will post this info late tonight, so check for that later.

Gene L. Hamilton, in the dirty trenches of politics and severely wounded, as is my fellow activist, Jay Villwock, who is also nursing gashes and slashes..... HELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLP US!!!!!!!!!

(photo is from today at the State House: Jay Villwock, Iowa Senator Bill Dotzler, Jr. of Waterloo, and me)

Making Good Use of An Empty Capitol

I prepared written notes to members of the Iowa Legislative leadership. My message stated that I hoped they would support the governor's budget proposal to allocate $400,000 to fund the revival of the Iowa Film Office. Jay Villwock and I knew the capitol would be vacant today because legislators usually return to their homes for the week-ends, but we knew getting our notes into the hands of key leaders was important so we made the trip anyway. And we knew that Wendol Jarvis would be there to meet with the governor or others and we always enjoy chatting with him.

We immediately found Wendol.... actually, he found us, and together we entered each empty legislative chamber. We were helped by the senate master-at-arms as he kindly took our notes to senate leaders' desks or mailboxes. And on the other side, the house chamber, we found a secretary behind the chamber who gave us a form to fill out which allowed our notes to reach certain state representatives.

For anyone wishing to contact these same leaders and ask for their support of Governor Branstad's budget allocation of $400,000 for reviving the Iowa Film Office, here is who to contact, and their contact information is available on the internet and their email addresses are easy to copy and paste:

Here are the names of those who did receive our notes:

The President of the Senate is Democrat Jack Kibbie of the 4th District (Emmetsburg). The Majority Leader is Democrat Michael Gronstal of the 50th District (Council Bluffs). The Minority Leader is Republican Jerry Behn of the 24th District (Boone).

Regarding the House: In the House, the Speaker is Kraig Paulsen, R-Hiawatha, and the Speaker Pro Tempore Jeff Kaufmann, R-Wilton. Partisan House leadership includes Majority Leader Linda Upmeyer, R-Mason City, and Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, D-Des Moines.

Members of the Iowa Senate Appropriations Committee: Robert Dvorsky is Chair, Matt McCoy is Vice Chair, Bill Dix is ranking member.

I believe that our friend Wendol Jarvis will return to lead the Iowa Film Office. He's worked tirelessly for several years to lay the groundwork to make the film industry work well here. I know he has driven thousands of miles and spent a lot of his own money to do this. And I have personally heard the governor say that he feels Wendol would be the best choice to run the film office.

When governor Culver terminated the film program the Iowa Film Office files mysteriously disappeared. This includes many thousands of photos and information in the locations file, places in Iowa for producers to consider for shooting future movies. And the Iowa film production guide was also removed from the office, plus posters and other items. As a result, the production guide must be re-created and the locations information and photo files will also need to be gathered yet again.

I hope some of you who may be reading this will take action, to bolster the chances of the Iowa senate and house approving the specific recommendation of the governor's budget plan.

gene l. hamilton
(photo shows Jay and I with Iowa film industry's strongest ally, Senator Bill Dotzler, Jr.)