Women and Children First
Bad economy requires tough choices
By Kelvin Wade | | February 19, 2009 23:54
I recently read the book 'Titanic: A Survivor's Story' by Archibald Gracie, originally published in 1913. The book tells of Gracie's improbable survival, as well as other survivors' stories. The saddest part to me, also dramatized in the 1997 film, was when the ship went down and the survivors in the lifeboats could hear the haunting screaming of hundreds of people in the icy waters, and they refused to go back. They feared the frantic, freezing survivors in the water would overturn their boats.
It is a great metaphor for the terrible economic condition we find ourselves in. Our tanking economy -- on the national, state and local levels -- is like that hulking sinking ship. And just like there weren't enough lifeboats to save everyone on the Titanic, we cannot save every program or service. Agonizing choices have to be made.
Tuesday night, speaker after speaker, including my brother Tony, went to the podium at the Fairfield City Council meeting to argue passionately on behalf of the arts. It was to no avail, as the council moved to slash arts funding.
Councilman Chuck Timm, after viewing part of a beautiful video of a symphonic performance at the Fairfield Center for Creative Arts, cut to the chase by asking how full the arts center was for the show. It was 80 percent full. His point, while not elaborated on, was obviously that while the Cultural Arts Award Program and various arts groups have done wonderfully creative things over the years, the arts haven't received enough community support.
In a city of more than 100,000, we should be able to sell out a 360 seat venue. We haven't supported the arts enough in the past and unfortunately, now we've arrived at a place where we simply can't afford to.
During this recession, as in most, the arts are taking a beating. We have already lost two ballet companies locally. The Sacramento Ballet canceled its season due to lagging ticket sales. And Bob Lynch, chief executive officer of the nonprofit Americans for the Arts, told the Associated Press that nearly
10 percent of arts organizations in the country have folded or are on the brink of collapse.
For those who say the arts don't affect them and they don't care, they're simply wrong. They're as wrong as those who complain about having to pay extra property taxes to support schools when they have no children.
The arts are an indicator of the health of a community. For a community unfortunately known for its crime, the arts help breathe life into our city image. And it affects everyone by attracting potential new residents and expanding the tax base. It helps local eateries frequented by audience members. It gives young people something creative and positive to do, which helps reduce crime.
But in the current economic climate, there was little else to do.
If everyone on the Titanic had swamped the lifeboats instead of letting women and children board them, no one would've been saved. Hard, life and death choices had to be made right on the spot. And that's what we're seeing in state and local government today.
There is hope for the arts in federal dollars. And perhaps something can still be worked out locally. But I don't fault the council for making the hard call. Peace.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Looking for something interesting to read, check out my DR Blog.
Your kid have a problem with lying? Nip it in the bud. Click HERE.
It is a great metaphor for the terrible economic condition we find ourselves in. Our tanking economy -- on the national, state and local levels -- is like that hulking sinking ship. And just like there weren't enough lifeboats to save everyone on the Titanic, we cannot save every program or service. Agonizing choices have to be made.
Tuesday night, speaker after speaker, including my brother Tony, went to the podium at the Fairfield City Council meeting to argue passionately on behalf of the arts. It was to no avail, as the council moved to slash arts funding.
Councilman Chuck Timm, after viewing part of a beautiful video of a symphonic performance at the Fairfield Center for Creative Arts, cut to the chase by asking how full the arts center was for the show. It was 80 percent full. His point, while not elaborated on, was obviously that while the Cultural Arts Award Program and various arts groups have done wonderfully creative things over the years, the arts haven't received enough community support.
In a city of more than 100,000, we should be able to sell out a 360 seat venue. We haven't supported the arts enough in the past and unfortunately, now we've arrived at a place where we simply can't afford to.
During this recession, as in most, the arts are taking a beating. We have already lost two ballet companies locally. The Sacramento Ballet canceled its season due to lagging ticket sales. And Bob Lynch, chief executive officer of the nonprofit Americans for the Arts, told the Associated Press that nearly
10 percent of arts organizations in the country have folded or are on the brink of collapse.
For those who say the arts don't affect them and they don't care, they're simply wrong. They're as wrong as those who complain about having to pay extra property taxes to support schools when they have no children.
The arts are an indicator of the health of a community. For a community unfortunately known for its crime, the arts help breathe life into our city image. And it affects everyone by attracting potential new residents and expanding the tax base. It helps local eateries frequented by audience members. It gives young people something creative and positive to do, which helps reduce crime.
But in the current economic climate, there was little else to do.
If everyone on the Titanic had swamped the lifeboats instead of letting women and children board them, no one would've been saved. Hard, life and death choices had to be made right on the spot. And that's what we're seeing in state and local government today.
There is hope for the arts in federal dollars. And perhaps something can still be worked out locally. But I don't fault the council for making the hard call. Peace.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Looking for something interesting to read, check out my DR Blog.
Your kid have a problem with lying? Nip it in the bud. Click HERE.
Comments