INC NEWS - Fwd: Re: Kvetching by Arts groups

Thu Jun 5 16:41:07 EDT 2008

>Cc: ellen Dagenhart <dagnhrt at mindspring.com>,
>  Sherry DeVries <sldevries at durhamarts.org>,
>  mwshiflett at hotmail.com
>From: Robert Aitchison <hafskip at mindspring.com>
>Subject: Re: Kvetching by Arts groups
>Date: Thu, 5 Jun 2008 16:05:19 -0400
>To:  <bragin at nc.rr.com>
>
>
>On Jun 5, 2008, at 2:15 PM, <bragin at nc.rr.com> wrote:
>
>>since i'm the one who first used the term kvetching, let me take
>>some of the heat off Mike.
>>
>>Here's my point. We've had two City Council elections (at least)
>>since the council "decided to open up the Pot to all non-city
>>agencies." Yet, this has not been an issue raised during the
>>election cycle. That's one very important place to have this
>>discussion.
>>
>>"The result was what we were told in the winter--we would have two
>>more years, less money each time, then nothing.  We were not at all
>>satisfied, but what could we do?"
>>
>>I would have made a much bigger stink about this at that time, when
>>the process was still somewhat more flexible, than to have waited
>>until the budget was presented.
>
>There is a process for this?  Were we invited to comment?  We'll
>certainly keep that in mind.  I went to the NCA meeting, and no one
>asked our opinion.
>>
>>"The result is an "arts vs. cops" mentality, or so I read from your
>>posts.  This is not what should be happening. Arts are the other part
>>of the equation."
>>
>>That may very well be true. In fact, i'll grant that it is.
>
>You bet it is!  Schools cut arts because of other needs (and
>government's reluctance to raise taxes at the County) and lose the
>tremendous advantages of arts education.  Government does not fund
>arts because they are a "luxury", but they aren't!    I've been in
>arts over 50 years. I have seen my music students learn to read
>better because they learned to read music.  Kids in music activities
>are off the streets, busy and in good company.  Did you listen to the
>neighborhood woman talking about what Mallarme's summer camp does for
>all the kids in her neighborhood?  This is tremendously cost
>effective preventive stuff.  I don't know if anyone thinks of arts in
>these terms, but they ought to!
>
>>It does not change the fact, however, that the budget that was
>>presented did not adequately fund either the arts programs or the
>>pay increases that our PD needs to hold onto qualified officers.
>>And yet, that budget was rejected by the mayor and council because
>>it raised taxes too much. The next iteration will have less money
>>to spend in it, and yet more funds will be needed for raises for
>>the  PD and other staff. Maybe that won't come out of art funds.
>>But it'll have to come from somewhere. So in a very real sense it
>>is "arts vs. cops." Or "arts vs. whatever." And we've only got a
>>couple of weeks to do all of the analyzing and horse trading
>>necessary to develop the budget. The result will be, as it so often
>>is in Durham, that whoever makes the biggest stink will get the most.
>
>Has anyone asked the public if they would pay $110/year (or even
>double that) for all the services needed?  I happen to live in the
>mythical "average priced" home and have no problem with more taxes,
>for what is needed.  The question is not "shall we have a tax
>increase?" (because of course everyone would say NO) but instead, "is
>all this worth only $110/year--less than $10/month!"
>>
>>The whole budget process this year has been, as far as i'm
>>concerned, one of the sorriest spectacles i've seen in the 15 years
>>i've lived in Durham. I think it's time we moved beyond the
>>"management by crisis" mentality that seems to infect every aspect
>>of decision making in this town, develop our long range goals and
>>strategies to implement, and go there. Instead of this ridiculous
>>and endlessly repeating cycle of skirmishes that we go throw to get
>>*anything* accomplished here.
>
>I don't disagree.
>
>Thanks, Barry,
>
>Anne
>>
>>Barry Ragin
>>
>>---- Robert Aitchison <hafskip at mindspring.com> wrote:
>>
>>=============
>>Mike,
>>
>>I have read your complaint that arts organizations should not be
>>kvetching about cuts.
>>
>>I wanted to step back in time to the late 90s, when the City, led by
>>Mayor Sylvia Kerchoff, decided to fund arts organizations with a
>>penny and a half of the tax dollar (the "penny pot") so we as a fine
>>community would support arts.   This was not meant to be all the
>>money the organizations would need to exist--far from it--but was to
>>affirm the importance of arts to our community, our economy (!!) and
>>our youth.  The application process was civilized and the city showed
>>concrete support for something that makes life better for all Durham
>>residents.
>>
>>All was well until, some time in the last several years, Council
>>decided to open up the Pot to all non-city agencies and make it a
>>"competitive" process.  There seemed to be no way to satisfy
>>everyone, so last year Council decided to look at the whole process.
>>The result was what we were told in the winter--we would have two
>>more years, less money each time, then nothing.  We were not at all
>>satisfied, but what could we do?  If it seems we are kvetching now,
>>it is because we have to put up with what we see as a betrayal.
>>
>>The result is an "arts vs. cops" mentality, or so I read from your
>>posts.  This is not what should be happening. Arts are the other part
>>of the equation.  It should be Arts PLUS Cops = lower juvenile
>>crime.  After I spoke on Monday, a policemen shook my hand!
>>
>>A civilized city, especially one that claims to be an arts community,
>>should support the arts!  It's that simple.
>>
>>Anne Aitchison
>>Twice President and flutist member (as a volunteer, I must add)
>>The Durham Symphony
>>
>

Ellen M. Dagenhart, ABR, e-Pro, GRI, SRES
MailTo:dagnhrt at mindspring.com
Marie Austin Realty, Durham, NC
1204 Broad Street, Durham, NC 27705
http://www.marieaustin.com
Office  919-286-5611  FAX  919-286-2252  Cell 919-475-1719

[]

Check it out! http://www.durham-nc.com/www.wheregreatthingshappen.com

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://lists.deltaforce.net/mailman/private/inc-list/attachments/20080605/be59066f/attachment-0001.htm 
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image0012.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 16459 bytes
Desc: not available
Url : http://lists.deltaforce.net/mailman/private/inc-list/attachments/20080605/be59066f/attachment-0001.jpg 