Belicove.Com - BeliBlog

August 22, 2005

MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD: CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS' ARTS BUDGET

My friend Beth, who just started a two-year stint as President of the Board of Directors of Storytelling Arts of Indiana, recently sent the following message:

Dear Mikal,
Hey, stranger! Hope you are well! I have begun my two-year term as president of the board of directors of Storytelling Arts, and I'm writing to you in the shameless hope that you'll share the following information with your blog readers so those who live in Indy might consider contacting their City-County Councilors.

Thanks,

Beth

Beth, I'm happy to help! To everyone from Indy who reads my blog, here's the skinny:

The City-County Council will be meeting this Thursday, August 25th, to finalize the Parks and Recreation Department's budget, which is where the Arts Council of Indianapolis gets the funding it distributes to Indianapolis' arts-related organizations. Given that the "IndyWorks" proposal did not pass and that the budget is tight all the way around, Mayor Bart Peterson has suggested a five percent (5%) cut in the budget, which includes funds earmarked for many of Indy's fine art-related organizations. As it turns out, the City-County Council might accept the Mayor's 5% recommendation, or they might cut more from the arts in order to cut less elsewhere.

If you believe that arts are an important component of the community we live in, please take a few minutes to find out who your City-County Councillor is (visit http://imaps.indygov.org/GovntProfile and fill in your address) and then send her or him a note (e-mail or hard copy) supporting no more than a 5% budget cut for the arts. (A sample letter that can be used as a starting point appears below.) In addition to writing to your particular City-County representative, you can also send a note to any or all four of the At-Large Councilors. Since the most effective legislative advocacy comes directly from constituents, make sure your Councilors hear from you before Thursday! And, if you yourself have an Indianapolis-based blog, please consider posting a similar message on your site encouraging your Indy-based readers to weigh in as well.

***BEGIN SAMPLE LETTER***

Dear Councillor [insert name here],
As a member of your City-Council district, Iím writing to let you know I accept Mayor Petersonís reduction of the arts budget by 5% and ask for your promise that you wonít vote to cut it any further.

I know money is very tight in all areas and that the Mayor and the Council have looked very hard at ways to maintain city services. The arts must be considered a vital part of these services.

Supporting the arts is a critical part of ensuring a vibrant and thriving community:

The non-profit arts community generates $294 million in economic activity in Indianapolis.

The non-profit arts organizations in Indianapolis support more than 10,000 full-time jobs and generate $10.7 million in local government revenue.

Indianapolis seeks to attract highly skilled workers and leading-edge technology businesses. These businesses will see Indianapolis as more attractive if they see a well-rounded community that offers a wide variety of arts-related education and entertainment.

Students who participate in arts education activities score better on standardized tests and achieve higher skill levels across all academic disciplines, building an advanced and well-rounded work force.

I urge you to not allow the City-County Council to cut the arts budget more than 5%, for the sake of our cityís success, reputation and future.

Thank you for your consideration and service to Indianapolis.

Posted by Mikal at August 22, 2005 5:45 AM | TrackBack