State arts dollars are slated for reduction in a new budget bill. Time is of the essence, so use the talking points below to tell your legislators ART MATTERS:
1. The New Jersey State Council on the Arts is proposed to receive $16 million for Cultural Projects in FY12. The NJ Cultural Trust is proposed to receive $500,000. These are the minimums allowed by law and are derived entirely from a dedicated revenue source, the NJ Hotel/Motel Occupancy Fee.
2. The budget bill specifies that $4 million of this total must go to the Battleship NJ, The Newark Museum, and the Old Barracks ($1.7M, $2.1M, $375K, respectively).
3. This language is NOT acceptable (unless there is $4M added to Cultural Projects to cover these line items).
4. The NJ Cultural Trust cannot be tapped to make up the difference.
The result of this means a total of $11.7 million (a reduction of 26.6%) for grants awarded through Cultural Projects this July. Budget bill is under consideration today! Phone calls and emails are essential to correct this situation. Please contact the Governor's Office and your district legislators TODAY!
Contacting your State legislators is easy--just CLICK HERE to go to Art Pride's Action Alert Center. You will find a letter that can easily be edited or sent as is. Here is the place to also find contact information for your State elected officials. Remember--the CURRENT legislators (not redistricted) are those voting on the FY12 budget at hand. If you require more information, including a map for your legislative district indicating the Creative Industries, please contact Art Pride NJ at 609-479-3377 ext. 305 or 307. Thanks in advance for your support. Please notify Art Pride if you receive any feedback from your elected officials. And a quick note--if you don't get to speak to them in person, a legislative aide or chief of staff will relay your support.
