Polis Politics blog shouts out on arts budget cuts

GREAT ARTS SOLUTIONS WITHOUT A BUDGET

Acrylic on IKEA cardboard shipping container
by PETER MICHAEL STEVENS
(Melyssa's favorite cousin)

There is a good discussion going at Polis Politics They take the conservative position to cut funding.

Libertarian leaders are talking behind the scenes about Libertarian perspective and solutions. They will likely hold a press conference on the matter.

The $1.5 million dollar budget will cost us much more than $1.5 million. No one (yet) is discussing the interest payments, nor are they discussing how long it will take to pay off this additional debt. The arts council seems to think it is fine to ask taxpayers )and their children one day) to take on this bond debt...bond debt that affects their homeownership through property taxes.

The bottom line is that everyone is in agreement that the arts are a great thing for our city. We just don't agree that city funding is necessary (or even constitutional).

With all the experience of the arts council leadership, you would think that one of them would be willing to do the hard work to create a network of more business and private sponsorships for arts projects.

If indeed the arts is good for an economy (and I believe it is) then surely they can harness this economic engine and attract investment from businesses whose public image and bottom line could profit from arts involvement. The businesses that sponsored the large art event I produced in 2004 profitted. One ended up with a million dollar plus real estate deal.