The Playgoer: Election Day voters say Yes to Arts Funding

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Tuesday, November 21, 2006

Election Day voters say Yes to Arts Funding

Election Day not only riased hopes for the arts in congress, but perhaps more significantly on the local level, there were 11 pro-arts funding referenda on various ballots. And they all passed.

Most were tax measures, but many different approaches, from sin to property taxes. My only concern if these end up basically eating into lower-bracket income (i.e. that of most artists) more than that of the "philanthropy" class. For instance--who pays most in cigarette taxes, do you think. Aside from bohemians, it's unfortunately those who don't "patronize" the arts at all.

How about a new arts-friendly Yacht tax, eh? I'd call it "philanthropy in advance." Then again, I guess that spoils the whole point of philanthropy--which is to dodge taxes not pay more of them.

Thanks to Americans for the Arts for their reporting on this and their efforts to get out the vote. A summary and link to their full report is here.

Or for a quicker summary see this article.

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