BREAKING NEWS: State Arts Budget Take 71% Cut

BREAKING NEWS FROM ARTSERVE MICHIGAN
Arts Budget Takes 71% Cut

Today the General Government Conference Committee released its budget for Fiscal Year 2010, making a near $6 million cut to the grant budget of the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs, leaving the council with a total grant budget of just under $2.3 million. Additionally, the council's staff was cut from five full time employees to two.

The only upside to the report was that the committee rejected the Governor's recommendation to use grant funding for capital planning as well as a $1,000 application fee. The committee revised the council's boilerplate language to allow it to redesign a grant program that fits its funding.

We will now strictly focus our efforts in an attempt to be inserted into any revenue enhancement enacted by the Legislature as well as advancing Senate Bill 263. While we have made some inroads, there is still much work to be done on both as we continue towards our goal of recapitalizing the MCACA. Your continued advocacy will be vital to the eventual advancement of any option that provides sustainable funding to the state arts council.

If you haven't already, please take a minute to click the link below to send a pre-drafted email to your elected officials asking them that, if a revenue enhancement is unavoidable, they consider a proposal to dedicate a small portion to recapitalize the MCACA.

http://capwiz.com/artsusa/mi/issues/alert/?alertid=14084566

Overall, I know you all are just as upset and disappointed as I am. I know that, between ArtServe's work as well as your incredible advocacy at the grassroots level, we have done all that we could have over the past 9 months to fight the Governor's recommendation to nearly eliminate the state arts council. I think there's a lot to say that we have survived - even though with only $2.3 million. The bottom line is that we are able to survive to fight another day and that fight will surely endure.

My thanks to all of you for your incredible advocacy efforts as well as your continued support!

If you have any comments or questions please feel free to email me at mike@artservemichigan.org or call me directly at 248-379-5897.

Sincerely,

Mike Latvis

Director of Public Policy, ArtServe Michigan