I received this today from Arts North Carolina:
“Your advocacy is working. The Legislature has been overcome with calls and emails asking for restoration of the General Government proposal to cut grants funding to the North Carolina Arts Council by 23%.
Several key items:
*The Call has been extended to 5pm on Monday. If you were not able contact your Legislator before noon today, you should still try. Many will be home on the weekend, and their published home numbers can be found at View Member Information in the Header at www.ncleg.net. All the better, see them in person and tell them your concerns.
*A word of caution: The Legislative Assistants are often on our side and have received a few unpleasant phone calls. Please be respectful in making telephone calls.
To follow are fresh Talking Points which were distributed to supporters in General Government yesterday. You can use these are create your own. The corrected Raleigh numbers are included in this Call.
- The arts industry of North Carolina has understood from the beginning that cuts would be necessary. The proposed 10% reduction in the Governor’s budget was significant but balanced. However, the 23% cut recommended by General Government is disproportionate and intolerable. Not only will 172 arts organizations not be funded, but many others will be affected by “the final blow†that comes on top of reduced private giving and earned revenue, particularly in rural areas and in small arts organizations. It is difficult to estimate how many arts organizations will close, but at the 23% cut, closures are inevitable.
- The grantees of the North Carolina Arts Council leverage an additional $17 for every $1 invested by the state. At the 23% reduction, the actual impact on arts funding would be $25,500,000.
- The grant money is distributed to all 100 counties and ensures that both rural and urban areas have access to state funds that stimulate significant economic development.
- Half of the grant money is returned to the state income tax paid by the employees of the funded organizations.
- Funded arts organizations raise and spend $223 million dollars, most of that in local economy.
Keep going and keep pushing. Your individual actions have and will continue to change the course of a bad budget recommendation.
Call To Action:
Call the Raleigh offices of the House Appropriations Chairs:
Representative Harold Brubaker
919-715-4946
Harold.Brubaker@ncleg.net
Representative Jeff Barnhart
919-715-2009
Jeff.Barnhart@ncleg.net
Representative Mitch Gillespie
919-733-5862
Mitch.Gillespie@ncleg.net
Representative Linda Johnson
919-733-5861
Linda.Johnson2@ncleg.net
Call the Raleigh offices of the House General Government Chairs: (Republicans)
Representative George Cleveland
919-715-6707
George.Cleveland@ncleg.net
Representative Dale Folwell
919-733-5787
Dale.Folwell@ncleg.net
Representative Glen Bradley
919-733-5860
Glen.Bradley@ncleg.net
Representative Mike Hager
919-733-5749
Mike.Hager@ncleg.net
Representative Kelly Hastings
919-715-2002
Kelly.Hastings@ncleg.net
Representative Grey Mills
919-733-5741
Grey.Mills@ncleg.net
Representative Ruth Samuelson
919-715-3009
Ruth.Samuelson@ncleg.net
Representative John Torbett
919-733-5868
John.Torbett@ncleg.net
Send an email only if you are unable to reach the Raleigh office.”