The buzz is growing around the arts community about anticipated budget cuts from the
Ballard administration to be announced on Monday. See, for example, Justin Ohlemiller's commentary at the Hetrick Communications
site here and Gracie Communications' Lisa Sirkin's "Save the Arts" page here.
Will these posts and their responses have any impact on the Ballard budget? And if the cuts go through, what will the impact be on Indianapolis?
In hindsight, was Mayor Peterson's "cultural tourism" push miscalculated? Would a greater emphasis on making Indy a better place for people who live here -- rather than marketing our goods to the outside world -- have put the arts community in a better bargaining position today?
And, at the risk of asking too many questions, if funding is cut but the arts philanthropy world comes through with help, will that only prove the Mayor's case?
Your thoughts?
Will these posts and their responses have any impact on the Ballard budget? And if the cuts go through, what will the impact be on Indianapolis?
In hindsight, was Mayor Peterson's "cultural tourism" push miscalculated? Would a greater emphasis on making Indy a better place for people who live here -- rather than marketing our goods to the outside world -- have put the arts community in a better bargaining position today?
And, at the risk of asking too many questions, if funding is cut but the arts philanthropy world comes through with help, will that only prove the Mayor's case?
Your thoughts?
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As for Cityside's comment...based on the number of misspellings and grammatical infractions in your post, I can understand why public education would be a concern of yours.
His threat to cut arts funding is a mere publicity play, just like Newt's threat to PBS back in the '90s. What saved PBS is what will save the Indy arts organizations - enough noise from constituants.
I wish there was a city beat journalist in this town who would dissect the county budget to expose how tax dollars are spent.
I no Im a prduct of spell chk n txt:(
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.
Sports, and any other special interests, should be self-funded.
We don't get a ballet arena, there is no reason for there to be a football arena paid for with public money either.
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