Arts Funding in Economic Recovery Bill

[Van]

This Just In.

Internationals, please bear with us Ridiculous Americans.
Below is an Important announcement from the Arts Action News. It is posted in whole as a copyright condition.

<TABLE style="WIDTH: 487.5pt;" border=1 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=650><TBODY><TR><TD style="BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent; PADDING-LEFT: 0in; PADDING-RIGHT: 0in; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; PADDING-TOP: 0in"><TABLE style="WIDTH: 487.5pt; mso-cellspacing: 0in; mso-yfti-tbllook: 1184; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in" class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=650><TBODY><TR><TD style="BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent; PADDING-LEFT: 0in; PADDING-RIGHT: 0in; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; PADDING-TOP: 0in">
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</TD></TR><TR style="mso-yfti-irow: 3"><TD style="BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent; PADDING-LEFT: 0in; PADDING-RIGHT: 0in; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; PADDING-TOP: 0in"><TABLE style="WIDTH: 487.5pt; mso-cellspacing: 0in; mso-yfti-tbllook: 1184; mso-padding-alt: 15.0pt 15.0pt 15.0pt 15.0pt" class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=650><TBODY><TR style="mso-yfti-irow: 0; mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes"><TD style="BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; PADDING-BOTTOM: 15pt; PADDING-LEFT: 15pt; PADDING-RIGHT: 15pt; BACKGROUND: white; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; PADDING-TOP: 15pt" vAlign=top>February 13, 2009

Dear Wendy:

Just moments ago, the U.S. House of Representatives approved their final version of the Economic Recovery bill by a vote of 246-183. We can now confirm that the package DOES include $50 million in direct support for arts jobs through National Endowment for the Arts grants. We are also happy to report that the exclusionary Coburn Amendment language banning certain arts groups from receiving any other economic recovery funds has also been successfully removed. Tonight the Senate is scheduled to have their final vote, and President Obama plans to sign the bill on Monday - President's Day.

A United VoiceThis is an important victory for all of you as arts advocates. More than 85,000 letters were sent to Congress, thousands of calls were made, and hundreds of op-eds, letters to the editor, news stories, and blog entries were generated in print and online media about the role of the arts in the economy. Artists, business leaders, mayors, governors, and a full range of national, state, and local arts groups all united together on this advocacy issue. This outcome marks a stunning turnaround of events and exemplifies the power of grassroots arts advocacy.

We would like to also thank some key leaders on Capitol Hill who really carried our voices into the conference negotiation room and throughout the halls of Congress: Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), House Appropriations Chairman Dave Obey (D-WI), House Interior Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Norm Dicks (D-WA), and Congressional Arts Caucus Co-Chair Louise Slaughter (D-NY). We also want to publicly thank President Obama for taking the early lead in recognizing the role of the arts in economic development. These leaders were able to convincingly make the case that protecting jobs in the creative sector is integral to the U.S. economy.

What's NextAs we wrap up our work on the Economic Recovery legislation, we wanted to share with you other upcoming legislative action that we are tracking:

• Finalization by early March of the FY 2009 appropriations, which has been operating under a continuing resolution for the last five months.
• Release of President Obama's first federal budget for FY 2010 is expected in late March/early April.<o></o>
• Hearings in the House Interior Appropriations Subcommittee on the FY 2010 budget.<o></o>
• Hearings in the House Education & Labor Committee on arts in the workforce and arts education.<o></o>
• The 22nd Annual National Arts Advocacy Day conference on Capitol Hill on March 30-31, 2009.<o></o>

Webinar on Federal Funding Announced, NEA Officials to Join
There is further good news for the arts and arts education in the other sections of this $789 billion economic recovery legislation -- but we're still reading through the 1000+ pages. Americans for the Arts will give an update on the economic stimulus package as well as other federal sources of arts funding in a webinar on Wednesday, February 18, 2:00-3:30pm EST. The webinar presentation will include remarks by Acting National Endowment for the Arts Chairman Patrice Walker Powell and newly appointed Director of Government Affairs Anita Decker. The webinar is free to Americans for the Arts professional members. Not a Member? Join Today.<o></o>
Click here. to remove your name from receiving e-mails regarding arts advocacy<o></o>
Click to also remove your name from receiving other e-mails from Americans for the Arts or its Arts Action Fund[email protected]?subject=unsubscribe from all e-mail
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6th Floor
Washington DC . 20005
T 202.371.2830
F 202.371.0424
</TD><TD style="BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; PADDING-BOTTOM: 15pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent; PADDING-LEFT: 15pt; WIDTH: 33%; PADDING-RIGHT: 15pt; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; PADDING-TOP: 15pt" vAlign=top width="33%">One East 53rd Street . 2nd Floor
New York NY . 10022
T 212.223.2787
F 212.980.4857
</TD><TD style="BORDER-BOTTOM: #ece9d8; BORDER-LEFT: #ece9d8; PADDING-BOTTOM: 15pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent; PADDING-LEFT: 15pt; WIDTH: 33%; PADDING-RIGHT: 15pt; BORDER-TOP: #ece9d8; BORDER-RIGHT: #ece9d8; PADDING-TOP: 15pt" vAlign=top width="33%">[email protected]
www.AmericansForTheArts.org
www.ArtsActionFund.org
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[derekleffew]

...another step in the march toward Socialism.

...1100 pages no congress person has read.

...contains provisions requiring that 300,000 illegal aliens will receive jobs before tax-paying citizens.

...fifty million dollars to pornagraphers [sic] like Robert Mapplethorpe.

See http://www.controlbooth.com/forums/off-topic/8576-ant-grasshopper.html?highlight=grasshopper.

 

[Van]

I had forgotten all about that thread. I never did post that re-written grasshopper story. Hmm I think it's at home on my wifes laptop.
But I didn't see any of those quotes in that thread anywhere, or am I missing a page? My computer here at work is acting really goofy stuttering. The cursor can't seen to keep up with my typing, and the constantly re-loading banner ads on CB seem to make it worse.

 

[ruinexplorer]

See http://www.controlbooth.com/forums/off-topic/8576-ant-grasshopper.html?highlight=grasshopper.

Of course, this is in the Off Topic forum, so anyone who hasn't paid to be a member and support CB will not be able to read this.

 

[DaveySimps]

In a related, but more local story for me; In our State of the State Address last week, Michigan's governor Jennifer Granholm announced that she was closing the Department of History, Arts and Libraries all together, without any notice. Now any potential state funding for arts in Michigan will have to be voted on on the floor by representatives. A HUGE blow to our state that is already suffering like so many others.

~Dave

 

[Van]

In a related, but more local story for me; In our State of the State Address last week, Michigan's governor Jennifer Granholm announced that she was closing the Department of History, Arts and Libraries all together, without any notice. ....

See the cool thing about closing down these departments is that Now there won't be any institutions around to record the misdeeds of the government or it's contractors, thus freeing up Big business to operate more efficiently in a free-er free market economy.

See it's a win-win situation for everybody!

< Seig Heil, Charlie Brown>