Earlier today, City County Councillor Christine Scales e-mailed me regarding the city arts budget and the rumored threats
against it. I'm reprinting the letter here (and posting it with the earlier blog) with
her permission. Your thoughts are, of course, most welcome.--L.H.
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Dear Mr. Harry,
I have read many of the responses to my statements regarding the need to cut funds to the arts community in the 2009 City of Indianapolis budget. It is sad that many commentators see the proposed cuts in arts funding as lacking recognition of the many contributions the arts make to the Indianapolis community. Those who are proposing cuts are not cultural Neanderthals, and do not wish the city to be void of an arts culture. We share an appreciation and an enthusiasm for the enrichment the arts offer our minds and spirits.
It is difficult to understand that supporters of the arts funding by the city, seem willfully blind to the desperate financial crisis the city is in. Many of the arts organizations I have heard from, protesting city tax cuts to funding, are in much healthier financial shape than the city. Which major arts organization is in as poor a shape as the city is in right now? Certainly not the Indianapolis Museum of Art or the Children's Museum. Yet, they each received the highest amount of allocated city funds from the Arts Council of Indianapolis. Why didn't the big dollars go to more programs with more limited resources?
I was not on the Council when the decision to fund the stadium was made. Mayor Ballard was not the mayor when the deal was made to give Mr. Irsay 50% of the revenue brought in from all non-NCAA convention events. The current city administration leaders had nothing to do with where we have been. We are taking responsibility for where the city is going. Understanding and cooperation from the arts community during these difficult times is sorely needed and would be much appreciated. Is there any way they could accept a moratorium on funding from the city until the city is on better financial footing? For a few years, can there be a hold on grand new additions to the Children's Museum and The Museum of Art? Can some of the duplicate programs reaching school children come together in a consolidation of services?
My mailbox is filled daily with requests for help from constituents. They can't figure out their property tax bills-or pay them. Sewage flows in the White River on a regular basis. Homeowners battle the costs and aggravation of constant flooding of their homes, not because they chose to live in a flood plain, but due to antiquated stormwater drainage pipes. Commuters endure bone jarring travels along poorly maintained roads. Children are shot in their cars on their way home from church. You read the newspapers, you are fully aware of the challenges out there that need urgent financial fixes. This current administration is working hard to resolve problems that have been years in the making.
There is discussion about what a small portion of the city budget is allocated to arts funding. It is said, "Certainly the city can spare a measly 1.5 million"(actually more, if you count the 1 million the Arts Council receives through the CIB)? Last night, I attended a budget preview session. Please trust me, every thousand, and certainly every million dollars in cost savings is being evaluated and searched for.
My hope is that the disappointed arts supporters out there accept that a cut in funding is not to be taken as an insult or lack of esteem or appreciation of the arts community, but simply as a tough financial decision to be made.
Sincerely,
Christine Scales City County Councillor, District 4
P.S- Mayor Ballard has not yet supported a total cut in funding to the arts.
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Dear Mr. Harry,
I have read many of the responses to my statements regarding the need to cut funds to the arts community in the 2009 City of Indianapolis budget. It is sad that many commentators see the proposed cuts in arts funding as lacking recognition of the many contributions the arts make to the Indianapolis community. Those who are proposing cuts are not cultural Neanderthals, and do not wish the city to be void of an arts culture. We share an appreciation and an enthusiasm for the enrichment the arts offer our minds and spirits.
It is difficult to understand that supporters of the arts funding by the city, seem willfully blind to the desperate financial crisis the city is in. Many of the arts organizations I have heard from, protesting city tax cuts to funding, are in much healthier financial shape than the city. Which major arts organization is in as poor a shape as the city is in right now? Certainly not the Indianapolis Museum of Art or the Children's Museum. Yet, they each received the highest amount of allocated city funds from the Arts Council of Indianapolis. Why didn't the big dollars go to more programs with more limited resources?
I was not on the Council when the decision to fund the stadium was made. Mayor Ballard was not the mayor when the deal was made to give Mr. Irsay 50% of the revenue brought in from all non-NCAA convention events. The current city administration leaders had nothing to do with where we have been. We are taking responsibility for where the city is going. Understanding and cooperation from the arts community during these difficult times is sorely needed and would be much appreciated. Is there any way they could accept a moratorium on funding from the city until the city is on better financial footing? For a few years, can there be a hold on grand new additions to the Children's Museum and The Museum of Art? Can some of the duplicate programs reaching school children come together in a consolidation of services?
My mailbox is filled daily with requests for help from constituents. They can't figure out their property tax bills-or pay them. Sewage flows in the White River on a regular basis. Homeowners battle the costs and aggravation of constant flooding of their homes, not because they chose to live in a flood plain, but due to antiquated stormwater drainage pipes. Commuters endure bone jarring travels along poorly maintained roads. Children are shot in their cars on their way home from church. You read the newspapers, you are fully aware of the challenges out there that need urgent financial fixes. This current administration is working hard to resolve problems that have been years in the making.
There is discussion about what a small portion of the city budget is allocated to arts funding. It is said, "Certainly the city can spare a measly 1.5 million"(actually more, if you count the 1 million the Arts Council receives through the CIB)? Last night, I attended a budget preview session. Please trust me, every thousand, and certainly every million dollars in cost savings is being evaluated and searched for.
My hope is that the disappointed arts supporters out there accept that a cut in funding is not to be taken as an insult or lack of esteem or appreciation of the arts community, but simply as a tough financial decision to be made.
Sincerely,
Christine Scales City County Councillor, District 4
P.S- Mayor Ballard has not yet supported a total cut in funding to the arts.
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When reading articles about arts/parks funding, I often wonder why they are usually presented as being anti-arts/parks, rather than showing the financial situation they administration is up against.
My opinion is that museums and arts programs need to quit looking for handouts from ANY taxpayer dollars (local, state or federal), and start doing their legwork by getting all or the majority of it from private donors. As the city councillor writes, there are other things that are of higher priority that need to be taken care of by the city. And the Children's Museum part above, well I'm sure that those dollars the Children's Museum will be getting could have been used for actual transportation purposes in our area such as street repair, buses, etc.... at least something transportation related... hey there's an idea use money in a federal bill for what it's actually intended for.
No one has volunteered anything.
For more information, visit http://www.indyarts.org/whattheartsmean/
Art supporters are disappointed because the rumored cuts do not appear to be universal.
When public art support is singled out and its budget cut 100%, while other government services go unscathed, a clear message is sent: This city and its current administration do not support the arts and do not see the value in investing in it.
Saying that it's a tough financial decision to be made just adds injury to insult.
If, for example, Mayor Ballard said, The city is in tough financial shape, we're going to have to shave 5% from every government function, arts supporters might be more inclined to understand.
Instead it seems that parks and the arts, two areas certain groups in Indianapolis are notorious for not supporting, have been singled out.
There is a plethora of evidence that government support for the arts has numerous positive effects on a city, financially and socially. There is a large part of the public that deem it wise to invest a portion of their collective funds in the arts and parks, as well as public safety and roads. It will be a shame if they're ignored.
Please see my original statements which served to cause the upset amongst arts organizations. They are posted on Hoosier for Fair Taxation and addresse the budget cuts that have already been made(and are continuing to be made).
The city has the same decision to make now. Do they value the arts? The issue isn't simply about who gets money and if it's appropriate. It is about what the city values and what kind of an image it wants to present to the world. Sure they can say look at our thriving arts community but when pressed how will they be able to say they support it? The same goes for the parks. Well there is no public government support for arts funding and we've slashed the parks budget. Yeah, let's trumpet that message to the world. It's a repeat of my high school, just on a larger and more public scale. If the people with power don't value something then the majority won't either. Mayor Ballard and his staff are clearly indicating they don't value arts and recreation. That attitude will trickle down and it will be a blemish on our community.
Could it be the CIB?
f not, who?
Bottom line is (and don't be fooled) the arts admin employees are paid from the wallets of taxpayers one way or another.
SEE: http://www.lpin.org/node/320
You'll have to ask them how they derive their revenue - I'm not the expert there. My only point was to clarify that they aren't city employees.
There are a handful of Colts games each year. There are hundreds of arts events each year. Start calculating the financial return of the arts and you will see why it is important.
Are billboards about snitching, rallies about stopping the violence, and processions of hearses by funeral directors going to boost economic development and promote the cities quality of life?
Safety is an expectation, not a community slogan.
If crime fighting is the only thing Indianapolis is good for, then everyone will just move to the suburbs or out of state
Are billboards about snitching, rallies about stopping the violence, and processions of hearses by funeral directors going to boost economic development and promote the cities quality of life?
Safety is an expectation, not a community slogan. If crime fighting is the only thing Indianapolis is good for, then everyone will just move to the suburbs or out of state.
The Arts Council receives funding from a variety of partners including the City of Indianapolis, various foundations such as the CICF & Lilly Endowment, and from individual & corporate donors.
However, I'm not buying the b.s. from the council members who continue to throw out the mayor and us were not in office when the stadium was to be built... blah, blah, blah. Yet, Mayor Ballard and his team were the first ones to take credit for winning the Super Bowl - and I doubt that could have happened without Lucas Oil Stadium. The stadium is built people... get over it. In economics, we call it a sunk-cost. MOVE ON!
And yes, the mayor has indicated his desire to end all city funding for the arts through the Parks & Rec budget. His goal was to phase out funding over a period of three years.