Georgia will be only state in nation w/o an arts council (Atlanta: Home Depot, to buy)

[tonygeorgia]

Georgia arts funding restored


Slated for elimination by the Georgia House last week, the Georgia Council for the Arts had its funding restored by a Senate panel Tuesday. The Senate Appropriations Committee approved a $17.8 billion budget that includes money the House had stripped from the arts council. The council's budget will receive a steep cut from the $2.52 million it received in fiscal 2010, but the agency will not be eliminated, as the House had intended.

Georgia arts funding restored *| ajc.com

[WilliamM]

Originally Posted by Jackalope

My own personal favorite is the little blue plywood "waves" nestled in a "sea" of gravel at one of the northbound Marta Train stations. That particular masterpiece must've taken at least 15 minutes to create.

Hokusai, by chance?

[WilliamM]

Well, looks like protests against the proposed cuts won the day.

Georgia arts funding restored *| ajc.com

[WilliamM]

Originally Posted by tonygeorgia

Georgia arts funding restored


Slated for elimination by the Georgia House last week, the Georgia Council for the Arts had its funding restored by a Senate panel Tuesday. The Senate Appropriations Committee approved a $17.8 billion budget that includes money the House had stripped from the arts council. The council's budget will receive a steep cut from the $2.52 million it received in fiscal 2010, but the agency will not be eliminated, as the House had intended.

Georgia arts funding restored *| ajc.com

Sorry, Tony. Completely overlooked your earlier post. Thanks.

[neil0311]

Originally Posted by WilliamM

Well, looks like protests against the proposed cuts won the day.

Yup...and the posting of doom and gloom and the predictions of Georgia descending into a dark and empty place without an Arts Council were just a bit premature as I indicated.

[neil0311]

"When we are laying people off and slashing very important programs, arts are not the highest priority for me," Sen. John Douglas (R-Social Circle), a Senate Appropriations Committee member

I tend to agree with him. I wonder if some of these people bother to consider families who for one reason or another have been forced to tighten their belts and consider priorities. When families can no longer afford certain luxuries, the state should be no different.

[mike7586]

Well I guess "important programs" is subjective, because some people do consider the arts to be pretty important. I can't imagine someone from Social Circle giving two craps about the arts anyways, even if we weren't facing a budget crisis. And don't be so naive either - you know there are programs that the state is still including in their budget that other people would consider "luxuries".

[neil0311]

Originally Posted by mike7586

Well I guess "important programs" is subjective, because some people do consider the arts to be pretty important. .

"Pretty important" ...maybe...but we have to set priorities and they are necessarily relative. Schools, public safety, transportation, and other items are a hell of a lot more important, wouldn't you say?

Originally Posted by mike7586

I can't imagine someone from Social Circle would give two craps about the arts anyways, whether in good or bad times. And don't be so naive either - you know there are programs that the state is still including in the budget that other people would consider "luxuries".

Ah...so he's just a redneck hick from outside the big city? He needs an enlightened liberal from the city to educate him. Gotcha. Could you be any more condescending and stereotypical if you tried?

[mike7586]

I'm not being condescending, it's the damn truth. I'm from the South, I know how it goes (especially in the rural areas). And let's see... according to GA's terrible state test scores, schools don't seem to be important, and with the way transportation funding goes around here, that doesn't seem to be important either.

[WilliamM]

Originally Posted by neil0311

"When we are laying people off and slashing very important programs, arts are not the highest priority for me," Sen. John Douglas (R-Social Circle), a Senate Appropriations Committee member

I tend to agree with him. I wonder if some of these people bother to consider families who for one reason or another have been forced to tighten their belts and consider priorities. When families can no longer afford certain luxuries, the state should be no different.

I guess part of the problem is it's difficult to say exactly where the impact of arts is in terms of jobs. But the ways it contributes to the welfare of the state is incalculable. This op-ed in today's paper explains well what is at stake.

http://www.ajc.com/opinion/arts-tap-...st-478209.html