Mailbag: A final move for SAG/AFTRA

On New Year’s Day 2017, all who work in front of the camera will celebrate an amazing milestone in their profession: actors will officially have one healthcare plan. There will be no more split earnings. All earnings on all jobs will go to one healthcare plan. Finally, after a long and difficult journey the merger of SAG and AFTRA has, for the first time, really provided some benefit. This is an historic achievement. However, the struggle up the glass mountain of total unity has not yet reached the peak.

There remains one huge obstacle if this unique union is to fulfill the promise of the merger vision started more than five years ago, the merging of the pension plans into one, just as they have done with healthcare. Then and only then will SAG/AFTRA be whole. I love SAG/AFTRA, they are careful and considerate about taking care of their members, but they move ever so slowly. Granted, merging these two separate pensions is an undertaking of tedious endeavor and trying discussions, but it must be done soon. This final move will help hundreds of actors have better lives.

So, SAG/AFTRA, get it done. We have faith that if you can do that for our healthcare, you can do it for our pensions. Work hard and hope to hear from you soon, and wow, what a celebration that will be!

Joseph Di Sante
Burbank

--

Columnist hit his target

Once again, Ray Richmond has hit the nail on the head and dismantled the assault-weapons argument piece by piece. Eugene Stoner, the designer of the AR-15, never intended these weapons for civilian use but only for the military. Stoner, an ex-marine, never even owned one.

As my boyfriend, who served in the military in the ‘60s noted, the AR-15 was only issued to soldiers engaged in direct combat. What’s even more frightening is that the weapon used by the Orlando shooter, a Sig Sauer MCX, similar to the AR-15, was designed to be even easier (i.e, more deadly) to use than the original.

I particularly relished the fantasy exposed by his friend Matthew Clayton of civilian “Minutemen” taking up arms against the government with AR-15s. Of course, I’m sure the ISIS “Leader of the Week” would find this less amusing.

Rita Zwern
Burbank