Writer's Strike

The Dolly Grip on "Ugly Betty" called me today to see what was going on. Since I've been in Connecticut I have no idea. He said that the rumor is around town (LA) that the writers are going to strike at the end of Oct. These things are a normal part of the cycle of the movie business. Someone is always striking (except the IA, who just keep giving in) and we have to deal with it. Here's the thing, I totally agree with the writers. They should get paid for every medium that their work appears on. The film business makes billions (BILLIONS!) and they should be compensated every time one of their works is shown. Part of me says, "hell yeah, stick it to 'em." The other part of me says, "Wait a minute, we all have mortgages and children to support and we have no say in this." It's a scary time, especially when studios are actually conglomerates who answer to stockholders of which many of us are. As below-the-liners, we see literally millions of dollars thrown around in a way that most people never imagine. Believe me, I don't begrudge one dollar that anyone makes in a free market society, but it's hard to sympethize with an industry that makes billions (BILLIONS!) and begrudges you an extra $1.00 an hour. I didn't mean to turn this into a political statement but this does have an impact on our lives and I'm interested to hear what all of you have to say on the subject.