June 2004

Arts and Culture Advocates, continue to
DO ALL YOU CAN, AND THEN SOME.
Your advocacy remains vital to our campaign to Save Philadelphia Cultural Funding.

Last Thursday, as expected, the Mayor vetoed the budget passed by City Council on Memorial Day. Council took an immediate vote to override the veto, which failed by a margin of 10-7 (12 votes are needed for an override). This budget, which contained full restoration of funding for arts and cultural programs, is now dead.

Last week City Council also gave first reading to a newly amended budget for next year. As you may recall, this budget was identical to the one first proposed by Mayor Street back in March, which included substantial cuts to cultural funding. Council's amendments to this new budget provide some relief to those cuts, though not as much as the first budget did. The amendments in the new budget contain restoration of 85% of overall funding to arts and culture, including proposed total appropriations of $2,000,000 for the Philadelphia Cultural Fund, $300,000 for the African American Museum, $264,000 for the Atwater Kent Museum, and $2,000,000 for the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

The Mayor's original budget proposal also zeroed out funding for the Office of Arts and Culture. While the latest version of the budget in City Council restores $100,000, the Commerce Department has made it known that the Office of Arts and Culture is closing at the end of this month. At this time, it is unclear what will happen to the Office's programs.

City Council held its last scheduled meeting of the year on Monday, June 21. At this meeting, Council gave final passage to the newly amended budget by a vote of 12-5. Mayor Street now must either approve the budget, which he can do at any time, or he must wait ten days to veto it. This means that if Mayor Street wishes to veto this budget, he will need to wait until July 1 to do so, according to the rules outlined in Philadelphia's City Charter. At this time, the Mayor's position on this budget is unclear, but if all Council members continue to vote as they did on June 21, City Council will have enough votes to override a veto of this budget. Our City’s fiscal year begins July 1. Should this date pass without an operating budget in place, the City will not be able to spend any money, and municipal services and programs may be suspended.

Your response to this situation so far has been tremendous. Hundreds of you have sent faxes, written letters, signed postcards, and attended the Rally for the Arts and City Council budget hearings. This call is for you to keep these actions going. If you were not one of the hundreds who participated in the aforementioned advocacy activities, please do so now. If you did participate, please contact City Council and the Mayor one more time, and continue getting the news out to as many people as you can. Direct friends, family and coworkers to this page so they, too can take action.

• Action Items
  
• Issue Background and Key Talking Points
• Media Coverage [updated 6/22/04]

ACTION ITEMS

• Call Mayor Street
  Dial 215-686-2181 and urge the Mayor to sign the operating budget sent to him by City Council. Remind the Mayor that this budget includes restoration of cultural funding, and that arts and culture are critical to our City’s neighborhoods, economy, education, and quality of life for all residents.
  
  
• Contact City Council
  Call members of City Council to thank them for their continued support of cultural funding. You can find a list of Council phone numbers at www.phila.gov/citycouncil/about.html or www.philaculture.org/advo/pa_phila.htm.
  
  

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ISSUE BACKGROUND AND KEY TALKING POINTS

Mayor Street’s proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2005 includes cuts for arts and culture that amount to $4 million. The Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Atwater Kent Museum have been proposed at zero funding. The Philadelphia Cultural Fund is recommended to receive $1 million – a 60% cut from this year’s level of funding. Other organizations specifically mentioned at reduced levels include the African American Museum, Historic Philadelphia, the Avenue of the Arts, and the Greater Philadelphia Film Office. Above this $4 million cut to arts and culture, libraries have been also been proposed at reduced funding levels. If approved, these cuts will be hard felt by all constituencies served by Philadelphia’s arts and culture community.

Points to make in letters, faxes and phone calls:

• Culture is Core – it's vital to our City's success. All the familiar arguments apply here - the economic, educational, and social/community value of arts and culture to Philadelphia. See our Cultural Funding Additional Information section for facts and figures demonstrating the positive impact of culture.
  
  
• Devastating Impact – These cuts will result in job loss and decreased education programming, two areas critical to Philadelphia's success. Offer specific examples from your own cultural organizations of programs with community impact that will be jeopardized as a result of these cuts.
  
  
• These Cuts are Disproportionate – Yes, our City is facing a budget deficit, so tightening the belt is important. However, investments in culture yield a 2:1 return in spending, and cultural amenities are key to promoting the City as a great place to live and work. Cultural support is currently 12 cents on every $100 the City spends, yet the cultural industry is recommended for a cut of nearly 70%, while other areas of the City's budget which represent much greater spending have much smaller recommended cuts. (Recreation Department - 10%; DA's office - 5%)

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MEDIA COVERAGE
NOTE: Some sites require registration or a user name and password. You can use ours: user name news@philaculture.org and password culture.

Philadelphia Weekly | 6/22/2004 | Culture Shock: The arts Community Questions the Closing of the Office of Arts and Culture

Philadelphia Tribune | 6/18/2004 | Cutting Arts Office Hurts City’s Stature

Philadelphia Inquirer | 6/16/2004 | Street Budget Eliminates Arts Office

Philadelphia Inquirer | 6/15/2004 | Delay Could Raise Budget Crisis

Philadelphia Daily News | 6/11/2004 | Council Tries Again on Budget

Philadelphia Inquirer | 6/11/2004 | Council Answers Veto with New Plan

Philadelphia Inquirer | 6/11/2004 | Street vetoes, Council Starts to Regroup

Philadelphia Inquirer | 6/1/2004 | Council Passes Tax Cuts, Budget

Philadelphia Daily News | 6/1/2004 | Parkway’s a Gold Mine

Philadelphia Daily News | 6/1/2004 | Council OKs $3.4B Budget

Philadelphia Daily News | 5/28/2004 | Mayor, Council Begin Round 2 Over Budget, Tax Reform

Philadelphia Inquirer | 5/28/2004 | Compromise is Possible, Say Council, Mayor

Philadelphia Daily News | 5/27/2004 | Mayor, Council Talking on Budget

Philadelphia Inquirer | 5/27/2004 | No Resolution on City Budget

Philadelphia City Paper | 5/27 - 6/2/2004 | Save the Arts

Philadelphia Inquirer | 5/26/2004 | Street Promises to Veto Council Tax Cuts

Philadelphia Inquirer | 5/26/2004 | Key Council Budget Votes

Philadelphia Inquirer | 5/26/2004 | Pre-Vote Caucus May Have Broken Law

Philadelphia Daily News | 5/25/2004 | Council ignores Street, OKs tax-reform bills

Philadelphia Daily News | 5/24/2004 | Tax Reform or Budget Cuts?

Philadelphia Business Journal | 5/21/2004 | Arts Seek New Fund Sources

Philadelphia Daily News | 5/21/2004 | Our Cultural Scene is a Fountain of Gold

Philadelphia Daily News | 5/20/2004 | Budget Crunch for Street

Philadelphia Weekly | 5/19 – 5/25/2004 | Unclear Cutting

Philadelphia Daily News | 5/18/2004 | The Case for Funding

Philadelphia Daily News | 5/18/2004 | The Case for Cuts

Philadelphia Inquirer | 5/16/2004 | Budget Squabbles Continue as Deadline Nears

Philadelphia Inquirer | 5/10/2004 | Editorial | Museums on the Ropes

Philadelphia Inquirer | 5/10/2004 | Cutting the Arts May Cost the City

Philadelphia Inquirer | 5/8/2004 | “What is the Importance of the Arts?” Culture Supporters Protest Funding Cuts

Philadelphia Daily News | 5/8/2004 | Artists Protest City Budget Cuts

Philadelphia Inquirer | 5/7/2004 | Arts Community Upset with Budget Cuts

Philadelphia Inquirer | 5/7/2004 | Groups to Protest in Love Park Over Arts Funding Cuts

Philadelphia Daily News | 5/6/2004 | A Correction

Philadelphia Daily News | 5/5/2004 | FREE ART

Philadelphia Business Journal | 5/3/2004 | Cultural Groups, Artists to Protest Budget Cuts

Philadelphia Tribune| 4/30/2004 | Cut the Arts Office, but Don't Cut it Out

Philadelphia Inquirer | 4/29/2004 | Letters |Cutting Aid to the Arts is Shortsighted

Philadelphia Daily News | 4/21/2004 | Art Museum Argues for Funds

Philadelphia Daily News | 4/20/2004 | Council Trio Rips Plan to Cut Arts, Culture $$

Chestnut Hill Local | 4/15/2004 | Cultural Centers React to Proposed Cuts

KYW News Radio 1060 | 4/12/2004 | Street's Cultural Cuts Anger Arts Community

Philadelphia Business Journal | 4/9/2004 | Editorial: Mayor's Arts Cuts Go Too Far

Philadelphia Business Journal | 4/9/2004 | Arts Funding Fight Isn't Unique to Philadelphia

Philadelphia Daily News | 4/8/2004 | Council Wants Mayor to Have a Change of Art

Philadelphia Inquirer | 4/3/2004 | City Arts Funding

City Paper | 4/1/2004 | Slant: Pound Foolish

Philadelphia Inquirer | 4/1/2004 | Welcome to the Surreal World

Philadelphia Inquirer | 4/1/2004 | Letters: Less Mural Money

Philadelphia Weekly | 3/31-4/6/2004 | Budget Rut: Tough Times are Ahead for the City’s Arts and Cultural Organizations

Philadelphia Inquirer | 3/31/2004 | Tom Ferrick, Jr: Budget Off Base on Vital City Need

Philadelphia Inquirer | 3/30/2004 | Budget Anxiety Rising for City Arts Groups

Philadelphia Daily News | 3/30/2004 | Lo$$ Will Squeeze $7.6M From Arts

Philadelphia Inquirer | 3/19/2004 | Street’s Budget: Tweaks, Fine Trims

Philadelphia Daily News | 3/19/2004 | Street’s Spending Plan Provides Dose of ‘Harsh But Effective’ Rx

Philadelphia Inquirer | 3/18/2004 | Street Presents New City Budget

KYW News1060.com | 3/18/2004 | Mayor’s $3.4 Billion Budget Includes Rec Center Closures

ANY QUESTIONS, CONTACT:
April Williamson, Advocacy Coordinator, at awilliamson@philaculture.org, or 215-557-7811 ext. 11, for help writing letters or contacting City Council or the Mayor.

Callie Curran, Research Coordinator, at ccurran@philaculture.org, or 215-557-7811 ext. 14, for general impact information about arts and culture in Philadelphia.

Julie Hawkins, Director of Policy and Government Relations, at jhawkins@philaculture.org 215-557-7811 ext. 12, for any other questions.

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