Budget Cuts

Someone once gave me some wise words about being an artist. "You have to be okay with making something that no one may want or need." It sounds kind of bleak, but I would have to say that stuck with me. I decided I could be okay with that. My husband being a musician and me an artist, we will go on making our respective crafts whether anyone wants or needs them. With that said, I think that Florida, mainly the Tampa Bay Area, has a lot more potential than there is opportunity for in the arena of the arts. I saw a lot of news coverage about the budget cuts coming in Florida, mainly about health care programs, which distresses me till no end. Then I found this on http://tampaartist.com/ and thought I would repost it since this hasn't gotten the media attention I think it deserves. Fellow Floridians, make sure it is known to your lawmakers that you want and need the arts.

"Last week, when Speaker of the House, Marco Rubio, announced that whole departments might have to be eliminated to balance the budget, The Division of Cultural Affairs became an easy target for the House aides who are preparing the budget. By simply zeroing out funding for the Division this vital administrative unit will cease to exist, and our advocacy for Arts and Culture will be carried back to the dark ages in the name of short term and short sighted expediency.During the economic downturn of the 2006-2007 fiscal year when other Departments were required to reduce their overall budget by 4%, the Division of Cultural Affairs took a 61% cut. But the Arts strengthen our economy. We know that for every dollar the State of Florida invests in the Arts we get a Seven Dollar return… we know that students who have four years of Art or Music education perform 60% better in verbal skills and 38% better in math skills on their SAT scores, and become better citizens for the State of Florida. We know that there are over 150,000 full time employees devoted to the Arts in the State of Florida .Why should we forget all that, and pull the plug on the support group that makes it all possible?
Agreed, times are tough, but let us not sell out our cultural heritage, and take away the leadership so necessary to keep Florida attractive as the place to live, the place to visit, the place to invest in.High Tech industries relocating to Florida are choosing communities where the Arts flourish because they know the creative thinking employees they recruit demand cultural facilities for themselves and their families.
Nowhere else can you find finer museums, symphonies, education in the arts and dedication to the finer things in life.We need to make an outcry.
If you are in the news media please pursue this story. The budget is being drawn up as we speak.If you are not in the media, but you know someone who is, please forward this email.
Thank you for taking time from your busy day to help avert this disaster and thank you for your advocacy.Jim Shaw, chairman, Florida Arts Council"