Oranges to Apples

Sometimes, even though all things are not equal, I find it useful and informative to compare similar but unlike issues. In this case, two government programs. Both have importance and bear fruit. Both are socially valid. But in reading the below excerpts from an article carried by the Seattle Times on Saturday, March 19th, 2005, keep in mind that the FY 2004 National Endowment for The Arts budget is $139.4 million.

You can view the complete article at:

http://archives.seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin/texis.cgi/web/vortex/display?slug=std19&date=20050319&query=condoms

*****Begin Excerpts*****

"Teenagers who take virginity pledges - public declarations to abstain from sex - are almost as likely to be infected with a sexually transmitted disease (STD) as those who never made the pledge, according to an eight-year study released
yesterday."

"The study, published in the Journal of Adolescent Health, found that 20 percent said they had taken a virginity pledge. Bearman and co-author Hannah Bruckner broke them into two categories - "inconsistent pledgers" and "consistent pledgers" - to reflect that some changed their status or their responses between interviews. Among those youngsters, 61 percent of the consistent pledgers and 79 percent of the inconsistent pledgers reported having intercourse before marrying or prior to 2002 interviews."

"Not only do virginity pledges not work to keep our young people safe, they are causing harm by undermining condom use, contraception and medical treatment," said Bill Smith, public-policy vice president for the Sexuality Information and Education
Council of the United States."

"Conservative academics said the paper overlooked earlier important findings about adolescents who take virginity pledges, most notably that they have fewer pregnancies and out-of-wedlock births."

"It's hugely successful on those variables," Rector said. "Bearman has focused in on the one variable he thinks can show they (pledgers) don't do better."

"President Bush has requested $206 million in federal funding for abstinence-only programs this year."

***** End Excerpts - begin author opinion *****

Fewer unwanted rug rats is a good thing. Nobody wants more pregnant teenagers. But does this program really accomplish even that? You can certainly bet that there won't be sufficient arts education funding or sufficient public arts funding for the unused condom babies.

The report fails to detail any federal funding for condom awareness or birth control awareness programs. Now could that be because there isn't any at all? And couldn't this be seen in terms of class and cultural warfare? Doesn't this type of thinking help propagate a steady and sufficient supply of lower class, under educated, ill informed, republican voting, bible thumping, right wing citizens for our "all volunteer" military to help fight the war on global terrorism? Keep the populace ignorant and hungry enough to need to pay the loans on the Camaro and the community college education and they will sign up for the Marines in droves.

The Creative Class

One need only look to the research of Richard Florida to understand why it is so important that Seattle be an impeccable national model for arts funding.

Richard Florida is a professor of regional economic development at Carnegie Mellon University and a columnist for Information Week. This article was adapted from his forthcoming book, The Rise of the Creative Class: and How Its Transforming Work

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/features/2001/0205.florida.html

Ranked 5th amongst the Top Ten Cities according to Florida's Creativity Index, Seattle is continuously referred to as a model of choice for livability and financial success.

The reasons cited by Florida reflect my own reasoning in choosing Seattle over Chicago, Baltimore, Richmond, or any other place I've lived for any length of time. His report also accurately reflects my original home town area of Norfolk, VA (I grew up in smaller adjacent Portsmouth) as one of the bottom ranking cities on the Creativity Index. This accurately reflects the assessment of the area by my creative peers as the "arm pit of the south". Amongst my peers, the artist (myself), the actor, the aspiring scientist, the hi tech worker, and the civil engineer all moved on to other larger, more vibrant and creative cities. The one amongst us who stayed works in the service sector. The creative amongst us all saw the area as a black hole where careers disappear.

Advocacy and "Americans for the Arts"

Americans For The Arts has a current billboard campaign in Seattle (and probably other cities as well). "Art, Ask For More." http://ww3.artsusa.org/ The intent (and I applaud it) is to create awareness and motivate parents to ask for more funding for arts education through advocacy.

Take note that the Arts Advocacy page of Americans for the Arts is sponsored by Altria. (I'm just asking for more like the cigarette company told me to.)

The campaign was produced by the Ad Council.

“The Ad Council is a private, non-profit organization that marshals volunteer talent from the advertising and communications industries, the facilities of the media, and the resources of the business and non-profit communities to deliver critical messages to the American public. The Ad Council produces, distributes and promotes thousands of public service campaigns on behalf of non-profit organizations and government agencies in issue areas such as improving the quality of life for children, preventative health, education, community well being, environmental preservation and strengthening families.”

- The Ad Council http://www.adcouncil.org/about/

While it is unclear who paid for this campaign, the cost for the billboards alone is estimated to be around $609,000 or more. This is based on Clear Channel Communications rate sheets. That amount would handsomely fund CoCA, ConWorks, and several small theater groups for a full year. Who is getting advocated here? Artists or tobacco?

Is it appropriate to have Altria (and therefore tobacco) fund or sponsor advocacy of any kind? For any social cause? And what has the greater and more positive impact on the community? Buying big media or supporting activities which provide real income and opportunities for artists? Is this under the radar and indirectly marketing tobacco to youth?

The NEA vs Big Tobacco

FACTS

So you tell me? Why does the tobacco industry spend more advertising dollars annually, in Washington state alone, than our entire National Endowment for the Arts Budget for FY 2004?
Is this right for either side?

NEA 04 Annual Budget = $139.4 million?????
And George Bush INCREASED IT by $18 Million?????

Estimated annual tobacco industry advertising and marketing in Washington Statesource = WA State Dept. of Health) = over $160 million

************************************************
January 29, 2004

Contact:Felicia Knight 202-682-5570

Washington, D.C. - Mrs. Laura Bush announced today that President George W. Bush is requesting an $18 million budget increase for the National Endowment for the Arts to fund a major new initiative, American Masterpieces: Three Centuries of Artistic Genius. This ambitious three-year program will combine arts presentations with education programming to introduce Americans to the best of their cultural and artistic legacy. American Masterpieces will sponsor presentations of the great American works across all art forms, and will reach large and small communities in all 50 states.

The President's request would raise the Arts Endowment's budget by $18 million from $121 million in FY 2004 to $139.4 million, the largest increase since 1984. Fifteen million dollars of the increase would fund the American Masterpieces initiative, with the remainder going toward other grantmaking and administrative costs. The new budget also includes more than $53 million in support for state arts organizations and underserved local communities.
For more information, contact the NEA Office of Communications at 202-682-5570 or visit the NEA Web site at www.arts.gov. For a complete NEA funding history, visit http://www.nea.gov/about/Facts/AppropriationsHistory.html

Arts Funding Issues

This is the first posting to my blog about arts funding issues reflecting my personal views and research on this issue. I invite others to submit comments, resources, ideas, and suggestions about how we can improve arts funding and better support the activities of creative people.

In the time since I becoming involved with Center on Contemporary Art, I have immersed myself in nonprofit fundraising and governance issues. I have taken a number of classes and done extensive research and while I possess some personal knowledge and experience; I by no means consider myself an expert in the field. My personal education is ongoing and a process of growth and awareness.

My most intensive current involvement is Art Patch. http://www.artpatch.org/ Art Patch is engaged in creatively displacing funding by tobacco related sources. This is a cause I am happy to be associated with and a cause I believe in strongly. I have in the past been involved with organizations which, for lack of alternatives and healthy choices, were on the receiving end of tobacco related funding. I am also a reformed smoker and somewhat of a zealot on the subject.

It is my firm belief that sources of funding for the arts need to be not only more abundant and accessible; but must also be altruistic and healthy for artists, organizations, and the community. I hope that you will join and assist my efforts in making this a reality for both the regional and national arts community.