Saturday, April 03, 2010

Budget Cutting Made Simple-Cut the Arts

Yet another story of a government agency trying to manage their budget by cutting the arts. This is from the state of Michigan:


In each of the last seven years, the arts and culture industry, despite its vital and significant economic and social contributions, has faced unprecedented cuts in state funding, with dollars drastically dwindling from approximately $27 million in 2002 to Gov. Jennifer Granholm's proposed budget of $1.8 million for 2010.


As if to pour more salt on a potentially mortal wound, a tax on entertainment is once again under consideration. Proposed by the governor, the state sales tax would be expanded to include a tax on tickets purchased for every professional concert, performance or sporting event. Under the proposal, none of the monies earned through the tax, to date, are earmarked for reinvestment in the arts.


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