Arnie launches showbiz drive to boost California economy
Actor-turned-politician Arnold Schwarzenegger has pledged to boost California’s ailing economy – with a new showbiz drive.
The movie star said he wanted to double the 250,000 entertainment jobs in the state, which is crippled by huge debts.
And to help he has appointed five friends, including Danny DeVito and Clint Eastwood, to the California Film Commission.
Schwarzenegger was elected governor of the huge state last year amid an economic crisis.
Speaking in the state capital Sacramento, the Republican Terminator star said: “For me, the entertainment business is very dear and close to my heart, and as you all know, I would not be standing here if it were not for the entertainment business.
“But what we have experienced over the last few years is a huge exodus of production, which has been going outside the state and the country, and because of that, we have been losing jobs and been losing a tremendous amount of money.”
He said he wanted to offer tax incentives to bring more entertainment businesses back to California.
Showbiz already generated more than £22 billion for the state economy last year.
Schwarzenegger accused Washington of failing to take showbiz seriously. But he pledged to change that.
“Up until now, no-one really paid attention in Washington to the entertainment industry, even though it is such a hugely successful export business and the industry contributes so much to our economy; but people brushed it aside and never took it seriously,” he said.
“Now I will make sure it is taken seriously, and there will be tax incentives in the near future.”
Schwarzenegger said DeVito and Eastwood would be joined by Bill Duke, Tom Werner and Lili Zanuck on the film commission.
He said he wanted the members to lobby local and national politicians to create good business conditions for film-makers in California.
