Wednesday, April 01, 2009

Louisiana's budget is tight, but is it so constricted as to warrant decimating the arts industry, asks Anne Susman of the Bossier Arts Council


On Thursday, April 2nd Bobby Jindal will enact a budget cut for The Arts and Arts Education by 83%, writes the Bossier Arts Council's Anne Susman. She continues . . .

This budget cut will devastate a 10 billion dollar industry that sustains 144,000 jobs. Investing in the arts is economically productive. Every $1 invested in Louisiana’s non-profit Arts and Culture industry generates $6 in revenue for the state. The Arts and Culture industry is paramount in revitalizing struggling urban centers and dilapidating historic districts. In terms of civic engagement, these programs foster public discourse and debate and critically activate public memory. Moreover, these programs attract tourism, which is a VITAL part of Louisiana's struggling economy.

What does this mean to Bossier Parish? This means ALL music, visual and theatre arts programming funded with Decentralized Arts Fund dollars in Cope Middle School, Bellaire Elementary, Elm Grove Middle School, Apollo Elementary School, Bossier Elementary School as well as Story Telling for ALL grades K-5, Classical Theatre for ALL Middle and High Schools WILL BE ELIMINATED! This cut in funding will eliminate services to over 25,000 students and parents in the Bossier Parish School System alone. It will further eliminate cultural programming and services to an additional 18,000 Bossier Parish citizens. Decentralized Arts Funding programming returns an investment of $6.00 to Bossier Parish for every $1.00 spent.

WE MUST ACT QUICKLY. The Louisiana House Appropriations Committee will be meeting on Thursday April 2nd. They are our last hope to stop Jindal from pursuing this course of action!

How to help: Take Action
Write your Legislator- it literally takes 5 seconds. go to La Partnership for the Arts, enter your zip and click Write Your Legislator.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Jindal is cutting Arts in the Schools by 83% ?

That is outrageous. Cut his pay by 83%!
Lets just hope he's off being a national Republican "hopeful" and doesnt have time to come back home to sign it.

. said...

bobby's jihad against education, social services, cultural arts support and development will become a disaster for our state. jindal is as bad for louisiana has bush has been for the u.s.
i urge everyone to contact their representatives to over-ride jindal's errant policies.
i also urge everyone to read last week's forum interview with elliot stonesipher. with leadership like jindal it is no wonder the population of louisiana has been declining at the rate of 4 people every minute!!! since the 80's!!!!
we need to speak up.

Debbie Buchanan Engle said...

I second everything Alan said.

Robert E Trudeau said...

Anne Susman write Friday at lunch:
THANK YOU!! WE GOT THEIR ATTENTION!!!! STOP THE EMAIL BLITZ! (for now)

The House Appropriation Committee hearing room was surrounded by a sea of yellow shirts yesterday in Baton Rouge. After talking to many of the legislators on the committee; they've heard us LOUD & CLEAR and get the point that we're making.

The next step will meetings with members of House Appropriations within the next 2 weeks to brief them on the potentially devastating impact of the cuts will have on their district.

Thanks to each of you for your participation in this amazing show of support that generated 70,693 emails since last Wednesday at 5 PM!

Keep an eye out for our future communications as we enter the legislative session and move through the full budget process.

Again, thank you,
Anne Susman
Executive Director
Bossier Arts Council
630 Barksdale Blvd
Bossier City, La. 71111
318-741-8310 office
318-741-8312 fax