The People’s Representative?
John Divine, Former Chair of the Kansas Arts Commission
Friday, May 13, 2011
This week, the Governor took another step in his plan to eliminate the Kansas Arts Commission by laying off their entire staff and requiring them to run all external communications through his office. This is a stunning move for several reasons – not only is he asking to silence an independent state agency and sending a message to legislators that their actions are laughable, but he is eliminating jobs. It calls into question his claim that jobs are his top priority – and demonstrates a remarkable lack of foresight.
Volumes of research indicates that creativity is a skill required to build a dynamic workforce – and is also a key component of attracting jobs and people to communities where they can raise their families. Quality of life is one of the main reasons that large corporations choose communities – and without activities such as music, dance and the rest of the arts, that quality of life suffers greatly. This is especially devastating in rural Kansas, which will suffer the most.
If he chooses to veto Kansas Arts Commission funding, he will also be choosing to ignore opposition from thousands of Kansans. This unilateral decision to forfeit $1.2 million in funding would be a crushing blow to 200 arts organizations across the state, many of which are a stronghold of culture and community connectivity for the small towns in which they operate. For a cost of $0.29 per person, the arts in Kansas generate $153.5 million in economic activity. Kansas cannot afford a loss of that size, and I strongly urge the Governor to think carefully before eliminating the Kansas Arts Commission.
ZaneRokklyn (anonymous) says...
For those puzzling over the apples-to-oranges comparison in the above paragraph, $0.29 per person comes to $817,436.73, so for every $1 we spend on the arts, we get $187 worth of economic activity.
May 13, 2011 at 5:51 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Steve_Corbin (anonymous) says...
I looked and looked and could not find anything about state funding for the arts in our state constitution. And apples to oranges aside, for every dollar spent on just about anything, we get $187 worth of economic activity.
This is something that can be absorbed by the private sector if there is such a need for it.
Get out the big fundraising guns, it will all work out.
May 14, 2011 at 7:19 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Steve_Corbin (anonymous) says...
And after all, this is Kansas, a solidly republican state. Brownback did win the election. So I would say he is the peoples representative. Like it or not.
May 14, 2011 at 7:24 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
methusla (anonymous) says...
There has been a discussion, debate, comment session, more or less raging on this forum for quite a while now, about the needless spending and use of taxpayer dollars.
I know what I am going to say will anger a great many people but, I believe funding the arts is just another example of needless spending of taxpayer dollars .
And the " panhandeling " for taxpayer dollars and needless spending of taxpayer dollars has gotten way out of control and has gotten to be of epidemic proportions, a disease that is destroying this Country, the States, Countys, Citys and yes, even people .
I do not care for Brownback, however, I do believe he has made a tough and more than likely an unpopular decision, but one that was needed to be made.
And I agree with Steve C., arts should be privately funded .
I believe that there are also way to many independent agencies that are receiving taxpayer funding, funds that are nothing more than a drain on governments and taxpayers, that show absolutely not return on taxpayer funds invested in them and an arts commission/counsel, an RDA, CVB, etc. are but just a few such independent agencies, groups, businesses, organizations, that should rely, totally on private, funding, such as public donations for their operationg capital .
May 14, 2011 at 8:02 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )