Going . . . to . . . stay . . . calm

From the Alliance of NYS Arts Organizations daily e-mail:

Although the U.S. House of Representatives passed their version of the Economic Recovery Package on January 28 by a vote of 244 to 188 which successfully included $50 million in supplemental grants funding for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), now the Senate, during their consideration of the economic recovery bill, approved an egregious amendment offered by Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK). The Coburn amendment stated that “None of the amounts appropriated or otherwise made available by this Act may be used for any casino or other gambling establishment, aquarium, zoo, golf course, swimming pool, stadium, community park, museum, theater, art center, and highway beautification project.”

Not really surprising considering how similar casinos and art centers are . . .

Americans for the Arts is organizing an e-mail campaign. Their site also has a few other interesting statistics:

National Endowment for the Arts funds, on average, leverage $7 in additional support through local, state, and private donations, for every one dollar in federal support. Fifty million in economic stimulus will leverage $350 million of investment in the nonprofit arts, which will help prevent 14,422 jobs from being lost.