An Essay by Mike Koehle Public funding of the arts. An interesting idea. I think the first and most important part of this would be to let the public know exactly what they are funding. Is it the construction of a museum,the aquisition of objects of art for display,expansion of a theatre? First and foremost,John Q. Public wants to know how his money is being spent. Second,and probably the most important, how is this funding coming from his pockets to a finished project. Is it in the form of simple donations in the community taken door to door,or taken like Girl Scout cookies are sold,in front of stores and sporting events? Or,heaven forbid,a tax? Maybe on theatre tickets,concert tickets,etc. Then the next step would be who is going to dole out the funds and what will the recipients have to do to get their share? Sounds like alot of cooperation would be needed. And how would public funding be affected by the private sector? Would the private sector feel they should have more of a say in where the funding goes because they feel more in tune with the process and the arena? I think it should be left to a strictly volunteer basis. Pretty much the way it is now. I would rather just enjoy the arts and not have to worry if the money I donated is going into someone's pocket or being used for the purpose it was intended for. Mike K. mikejpk@a-znet.com Mike Koehle died April 28th, 2003. I would like to extend my deepest sympathy to his family. He will be missed, I am very greatful to the support and enthusiasm he showed me in the past year. So long, Mike, and thanks!

And here is my effort for April-

When I posted this topic I fully intended to argue against public funding for the Arts. I have played in bands and if those bands didn’t play well or played music that an audience couldn’t relate to, we didn’t get hired back. So why, if a symphony orchestra can’t draw enough of a crowd to sustain its financial needs, should my tax dollar support a looser? Why should my tax dollar support Artists that can’t seem to make it on their own and often produce work that I feel is simply intended to offend people to gain notoriety, or is just plain poorly made crap?

Maybe that is just sour grapes on my part, I have applied for grants in the past and never received one. But that brings up the selection process, who are the people that choose who does or does not receive a grant? What is their agenda?

Shouldn’t an Artist be able to make it on their own merits? Will not true talent be noticed just by being good?

I was going to argue in that direction.

And then the President decided to go to war, blow off loads of munitions manufactured by his friends, sometimes to the tune of a million dollars or more a pop. He seems to want to take better care of the people of Iraq than the people of the USA, judging by what he says. (Don’t bore me with tales of “liberation” “WMDs” and “terror”; I’ve heard it all before and I don’t buy it. Save it for people who don’t think for themselves or can’t be bothered to check available resources. If you want to believe in him, fine, but leave me out of it.)

Sooooo…

If that’s the way he is going to do things then I guess we need some pretty radical sort of spending on something or other that doesn’t explode leaving dead and maimed people about. So I propose that we spend an equal, okay, I’ll be conservative, let’s say half (if you give the other half to K-12 education); I propose that whatever the amount is that we spend on the war in Iraq, half as much should be set aside and spent on the Arts right here in the good old USA. And no, I don’t think there should be many criterions for getting the money, it should be as indiscriminate as a cluster-bomb, just drop it on Artists and the Arts community and see who ends up on crutches.

I don’t have much time for people who want money for nothing. I have even less time for a politician who takes the US through the mud and allows his cronies to suck this great country dry of all that is good and honest and American. Fine, Mr. Bush, have your petty little war against a half-starved people, use whatever pretext you desire to make you and your people feel good about it. Fine. Destroy what you feel you must.

But spend some on the other end as well, the creative end back here in the US.

I won’t hold my breath about this; I know what sort of man sits in the Oval Office.

These are dark days for my country; I hope we see some light soon.

Dave Cofell
April13, 2003