[Dixielandjazz] Grants for Arts>>Putting People To Work

[Jerry Brown]

Hi Bill,

I really do find your attitude completely philistine. Like many others I find some of the arts project supported by my taxes to be not to my taste and sometimes I feel the money is being misspent but without government help there would be no 'arts' only the type of crass trash one sees on TV in such as 'The X Factor' etc. etc.

It takes government money to support the arts in schools whether it be music tuition of all sorts, appreciation of the visual arts, generation of interest and maybe love of great literature or are you suggesting that all such tuition should be paid for out of the pockets of pupils or their parents.

In this country and most others around the world without government subsidy there would be no performances of opera or the great classical works. Whilst it might only cost $500 or less to put on a third rate dixieland band the wages cost of a 100 piece symphony orchestra or a full scale opera is a little higher without adding in all the other overheads. Are you suggesting that the audience for such an event would need to be exceedingly well-heeled to even contemplate a visit to such a performance?

Similarly the great masterpieces of painting and sculpture would not be visible except to the stinking rich and there would be none of the great art galleries of the world such as the Prado in Madrid, Louvre in Paris or the National Gallery in London.

Putting taxes into the arts enriches all of the members of a society as well as providing employment to artists and many others. A country run by a government which is not prepared to support the culture and arts of, and for, the people would be a very sad and sterile place indeed. 

Anyway I would rather see my taxes spent on 'The Arts' than being wasted on waging unjust and un-winnable wars. 

Jerry
Norwich,
U.K.
"Make Music Not War!"


--- On Tue, 10/3/09, BillSargentDrums at aol.com <BillSargentDrums at aol.com> wrote:

> From: BillSargentDrums at aol.com <BillSargentDrums at aol.com>
> Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] Grants for Arts>>Putting People To Work
> To: "Jerry Brown" <jazzjerry at btinternet.com>
> Cc: dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com
> Date: Tuesday, 10 March, 2009, 8:06 PM
> <<All of us should remind our local representatives of
> this reality  and push 
> for restoring and adding more Arts Grants to the government
> budgets.?  People 
> love the results...it gives them things to do and does not
> directly hit  
> their own pockets.?>>
>  
> That's a fallacy. It is directly out of their own
> pockets. Yes, there's a  
> middleman, government, that charges a handling fee . . .
> but all too often,  
> people forget: any time the government spends (grants)
> money, it is YOUR money  
> and MY money and THEIR money.
>  
> I'm getting doggone tired of people thinking the
> governmental funds are  free 
> money.
>  
> I say let all the arts stand on public votes, called
> dollars, and let them  
> survive or die without ANY governmental intervention
> whatsoever.
>  
> Bill
>  
>  
> In a message dated 3/10/2009 12:48:22 P.M. Central Daylight
> Time,  
> budtuba at aol.com writes:
> 
> Subject:  Grants for Arts>>Putting People To  Work
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Just a comment and a  private beef.? I just got a news
> letter from our local 
> Arts Council of  Rochester and they were talking about
> reversing Gov. 
> Patterson's (NY) plans to  cut back on arts grants.?
> They talked at length about how 
> these grants are  providing what patrons want
> (performances, art shows, 
> educational programs,  etc), how many people are employed
> by the effects of grants, 
> and the ancillary  businesses that benefit (restaurants,
> hotels, etc.) they 
> seem to neglect that  the recipients of grants thereby get
> paid for their efforts 
> and that THEY  spend this money on the stuff of their
> lives, too.? If Obama, 
> or Patterson, or  any government official wants to
> stimulate the economy and 
> put people to work,  there probably is no better and
> fasterway than to provide 
> an ARTS  GRANT.
> 
> 
> 
> All of us should remind our local representatives of  this
> reality and push 
> for restoring and adding more Arts Grants to the 
> government budgets.? People 
> love the results...it gives them things to do and  does not
> directly hit their 
> own pockets.? Many forms of arts will not survive  on
> instant popularity 
> alone.? Much as a modernist painting takes time to 
> appreciate, OKOM needs new 
> exposure to young ears to regain the popularity it  once
> had.? We often have young 
> people enthusiastically ask about the music we  play...as
> if we invented it.? 
> We tell them where to go and find more.? They do  come
> back..many of 
> them..once they realize that they like  it.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Roy (Bud)  Taylor
> 
> Smugtown Stompers Jazz Band
> 
> Trad Jazz since 1958...we  ain't just whistling  dixie!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
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