The Pennsylvania Senate is calling for ZERO funding for arts and culture in the FY 09-10 state budget. If the Senate version of the budget (SB 850) prevails, there will be no arts and culture grants in the state of Pennsylvania starting on July 1 of this year (Pennsylvania Council on the Arts (PCA) and the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC)). The Pennsylvania House version of the budget (HB 1416) includes funding for both.
Background: In February, Pennsylvania Governor Edward Rendell presented his proposed budget. The allocation for the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts' Grants for the Arts (the line item that includes familiar programs such as AOAP, Preserving Diverse Cultures, Program Stream, and Project Stream) has been proposed at an 8% cut for fiscal year 2009-2010. That would bring the funding level from $15.225 million to $14 million.
Unfortunately, this proposal has been met with rising financial challenges. When the Governor proposed the budget, he anticipated a revenue shortfall of $2.3 billion for the current fiscal year. Over the past 3 months, that anticipated shortfall has grown more than $700 million. What does that mean? It means that both the Pennsylvania Senate and House of Representatives are looking for things to cut in order to close the shortfall gap.
Action: Please write your representatives and senators today. If you have taken action recently, send a follow-up letter using the form, or give your legislators a call. Our message is simple: restore funding for PCA and PHMC. As always, be sure to add your own stories. How does your organization's work impact the community? How have you been impacted by a performance or cultural organization? Would your organization be forced to close without this funding?
Take action today! You can find out contact information for your senator by visiting the Citizens for the Arts Legislative Action Center at http://capwiz.com/artsusa/pa/state/main/?state=PA. Type your zip code in the box at the top of the page and you will be taken to a page with information for all of your elected officials.
Please let the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council know that you have made contacts by CC’ing us on your email to legislators or by sending a separate email notification about your phone calls to rfreytag@pittsburghartscouncil.org.
(Thanks to the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance for their clear and concise background and action information above.)
Monday, May 4, 2009
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1 comments:
I emailed Frankel (rep) and Costa (senate) and then called Costa's office. His assistant informed me of pretty much the facts that you have here, excepting that it's the Republican controlled State Senate which is proposing to axe the arts and numerous other education programs with Bill 850. The assistant said such a bill would not be passed by the Democratically controlled state house of Reps--- and that while the two volly back and forth on the budget up until the final voting in June-- the arts community best keep the pressure on-- with letters, faxes, email, etc. A bus or two to Harrisburg would help as well.
Also, Gov. Rendell made a public statement condemning bill 850. It was on the afternoon news the other day.
Seems to me a good strategy would be to galvanize folks in more politically conservative areas who have benefitted from arts funding-- what about Westmoreland County? and all the other surrounding areas which hosted projects benefiting from the Pittsburgh 250 funds?
This would be a great topic for the vision for the future of SWPA at he Hazlett later this month.
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