Archive for Monday, January 9, 2012

Brownback rethinking state funding of the arts, officials say

January 9, 2012

Gov. Sam Brownback is working on ways to provide funding for the arts after his controversial veto last year that made Kansas the first state in the nation to stop funding the arts.

Rep. TerriLois Gregory, R-Baldwin City, said Monday arts funding strategies are being developed by the governor’s staff.

She said that the funds may be channeled through the Kansas Department of Commerce in the form of grants and that the still-existing but unfunded Arts Commission could be merged with the Kansas Film Commission.

“The grants would be more focused on job creation,” Gregory said.

The 2012 legislative session started Monday, and Brownback will outline his priorities in the State of the State address Wednesday.

At a Lawrence Chamber of Commerce breakfast with legislators, Gregory said some of the avenues being explored are providing arts funding through the sales of a special arts supporter license plate or donations through a tax checkoff.

In a recent interview with the Lawrence Journal-World, Brownback said he would revisit the issue but didn’t elaborate.

Brownback vetoed state funding of the Kansas Arts Commission, saying that the arts was not a core function of state government and that he expected private donors to step up. After his veto of the $689,000 state appropriation, the state lost $1.2 million in federal funding.

Arts supporters have criticized Brownback, saying the veto has hurt arts programs statewide, particularly in rural areas.

Sarah Carkhuff Fizell, a spokeswoman for Kansas Citizens for the Arts, said she was encouraged that Brownback may propose a new funding plan.

“We are excited about the potential that the governor appears willing to open this up and work with getting this whole arts thing back on track, but we don’t have enough details to know what this looks like,” Fizell said.

She added: “The arts are jobs and economic development, and that is crucial to moving Kansas forward.”

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Smarmy_Schoolmarm 1 year, 4 months ago

"...some of the avenues being explored is..." Lordy lordy.

larrytowngirl 1 year, 4 months ago

+1 Really!

George_Braziller 1 year, 4 months ago

Gregory is completely clueless. Arts funding through license plate sales? Why not aspire to something that would bring in a little more cash like a bake sale.

overthemoon 1 year, 4 months ago

We can't do that, it would take funding from the schools that are relying on bake sales to educate our kids.

Guitarzan 1 year, 4 months ago

I believe the title of the article (as currently written) misstates the essence of the situation. Use of the word "rethinking' implies that some serious level of thought went into Brownback's idiotic decisions on this issue in the first place.

Good luck with all that. We'll be watching this as it develops.

merrill 1 year, 4 months ago

Don't believe a word of this. This is absolute garbage.

No Tax Increase Sam Brownback is INITIATING STATE WIDE TAX INCREASES by eliminating the state income tax which is 50% of the state budget.

His talk of tax dollars for Art is merely greasing the wheel for his absurd elimination of the state income tax. Gov Sam Brownback is intimidating,abusing and manipulating Kansas people into believing he wants to make amends. Gov Sam Brownback cannot be trusted.

GOV SAM BROWNBACK CANNOT BE TRUSTED!!!!! Kansas taxpayers are being suckered!

toe 1 year, 4 months ago

I am a taxpayer and fully support the broad reduction in income tax rates. A smaller government is better government. Opening the door to encouraging contributions is a good idea.

George_Braziller 1 year, 4 months ago

Eliminating funding for the Kansas Arts Commission saved you a whopping $0.24 on your state taxes for the entire year but resulted in a loss of $4.17 per person just in federal funding.

Private grants always require some sort of matching funds and right now all that's on the table is an idea for selling some license plates. It might bring in $5,000 for the entire state if Gregory keeps her fingers crossed.

bhall87 1 year, 4 months ago

I'm bothered by the people who would love to see Kansas have no state income tax but don't realize that their local city and property taxes would skyrocket to make up for what they no longer received from the state.

The states that have no state income tax make money by having higher state sales tax and/or taxing businesses more or local communities raising property taxes. So thinking your taxes would be cheaper if you paid no state income tax is flawed. The state, the city and the county have to make money somehow.

merrill 1 year, 4 months ago

Why not aspire to something that would bring in a little more cash like REMOVING Sam Brownback from office.

bolshavik_vw 1 year, 4 months ago

I trust this man as much as I trust a "Snake that looks like it would not bite, and it does anyway." Please people wake up. And smell the rat in this deal. Yeah he is really saying. "Hey let me redeem myself by giving you back your $ for the Arts, And who knows I may reverse anything I have cut this year. So you will vote for me again." NOT NOT NOT! What this really means is "VOTE FOR ME! AND LET ME PULL THE WOOL OVER YOUR EYES AND ROB YOU AGAIN,. JUST LIKE I DID BEFORE! HA HA HA HA SUCKER!" Well I am not falling for this one. I did not the first time and I won't this time either.

sunny 1 year, 4 months ago

However....The libs love an $18 mil dollar library!

parrothead8 1 year, 4 months ago

That's because amenities like parks and good libraries make communities better places, and property values go up.

Lower income taxes only result in people buying more crap they don't need, which does nothing for the community or property values.

overthemoon 1 year, 4 months ago

And paying higher sales taxes on that crap.

tuschkahouma 1 year, 4 months ago

People who read love such a library. People who don't read make dumb comments like this.

asixbury 1 year, 4 months ago

+1000

just_another_bozo_on_this_bus 1 year, 4 months ago

This is kinda like kicking somebody's teeth out, and then buying them a pack of gum as a form of apology.

none2 1 year, 4 months ago

Maybe Brownback and his conservative right wing can work something out with the Lawrence left wing. Merge the two camps, and call it political art.

For instance, have pictures/paintings of more than three related people living in the same household with scenes of sin, sadness, theft, noise, meat-eating, lots of un-recycled trash, SUV's, and Godlessness. Have other pictures/paintings of other families scenes of large happy smiling families with lots of babies, quite serenity, vegan table settings, lots of recycling bins, bicycles, and solar panels, plus prominent statues of Mary, Joseph, Jesus and/or Buddha. Have the city and county of Lawrence pay for the art via large sums of money to fund to the the state's Art programs, and put the resulting art in the SRS buildings and near the expensive land out by the county jail. It would be a win for everybody.

none2 1 year, 4 months ago

oops, correction on a typo... I meant to say more than three UNrelated people. You know that configuration that makes Lawrence a den of inequity.

pace 1 year, 4 months ago

Maybe he can figure out the way to transfer support for the arts funds to some sort of cash layout to the "job creators". Bet he can do it.

merrill 1 year, 4 months ago

"A smaller government is better government."

How will the Gov Sam Brownback government become smaller? Brownback is expanding his government therefore will require more tax dollars to keep the Sam Brownback government moving. Brownback is from the Washington D.C. Beltway not Kansas.

His removal of the state income tax will increase local taxes. Where is the win win?

Paul R. Getto 1 year, 4 months ago

+1 It's smoke and mirrors as usual. Shrink state government then tell other levels of government to expand taxes to preserve services. It's not efficient, but it sounds good. zhǐ lù wéi mǎ as the Chinese say. "Call a deer a horse."

DRsmith 1 year, 4 months ago

Don't back track now Brownback. Stick to your guns. You are not losing any votes. No one in Lawrence will vote for you anyway.

jafs 1 year, 4 months ago

Yes, but a number of people who voted for Brownback have said they're upset with his actions and wouldn't vote for him again.

I imagine they're moderate Republicans/Independents.

tolawdjk 1 year, 4 months ago

I figured that the Highway Patrol had siezed a case of blackmarket crayolas and Sam was looking for a way to get them out to the various counties.

Paul R. Getto 1 year, 4 months ago

+1 LOL

Guitarzan 1 year, 4 months ago

check your spelling...

seize verb 1 [ trans. ] take hold of suddenly and forcibly : she jumped up and seized his arm | she seized hold of the door handle. • capture (a place) using force : army rebels seized an air force base. • assume (power or control) by force : the current president seized power in a coup. • (of the police or another authority) take possession of (something) by warrant or legal right; confiscate; impound : police have seized 726 lb of cocaine.

tolawdjk 1 year, 4 months ago

Wow, is my face red. You certainly got me, tongue in cheek. My only defense is I do as best as I can with my Kansas edewekayshun.

Guitarzan 1 year, 4 months ago

education noun the process of receiving or giving systematic instruction, esp. at a school or university : a new system of public education. • the theory and practice of teaching : colleges of education. • a body of knowledge acquired while being educated : his education is encyclopedic and eclectic. • information about or training in a particular field or subject : health education. • a particular stage in the process of being educated : a high-school education.

JackMcKee 1 year, 4 months ago

recall

JackMcKee 1 year, 4 months ago

Is TerriLois from Baldwin City Brownbacks lapdog? Every one of these articles has some asinine comment from her.

globehead 1 year, 4 months ago

Hopefully he'll do a better job than he did in keeping Boeing, or supporting Rick Perry, or selecting an IT Chief for Kansas, or picking a Secretary for SRS, etc....

Otherwise, I anticipate funding for some really fine art here like paintings of Elvis on velvet, dogs playing pool, Billy Bass, etc...

none2 1 year, 4 months ago

I think Sammy is hoping to paint Santorum on black velvet. Picture him with a halo blessing families' bedrooms.

If Santorum wins, Sammy might be able to get a cabinet post like Secretary of the most Blessed Family or perhaps be appointed the US Ambassador to the Vatican. So all the political Art he can fund not only helps starving artists, but enhances his future back in Washington DC where he really wants to be.

blindrabbit 1 year, 4 months ago

he'll try to pull a David Koch on us! Koch is a killer for governmental funding of the arts of any ilk, yet he and his brothers amass significant art collections on their own. David is especially overt about this, by funding many of the artsy programs on PBS through his foundation. By doing this the person who wants to eliminate the Arts, in-effect appears to be it's "Savior" and reaping the publicity his "Largess" brings. He is quite the gadfly in the New York City artsy circles.

Fidogump 1 year, 4 months ago

You can't unring the bell.

50YearResident 1 year, 4 months ago

Brownback is in Plan B mode because Plan A failed. Plan A was to get elected for 1 term as Kansas Govenor, run for, and get selected for a canidate for President. Go back to Washington. We all know that failed. So now he has to consider being a 2 term Kansas Govenor to repeat the sequence. So Plan B is to get back into good graces with the Kansas Voters and un-do some of the BS decisions he made to get noticed as a Presidential canidate. So look for him to now to be kissing up to the voters so he will actually get a second (chance) term. We aren't done with him yet, sorry to say.

lucky_guy 1 year, 4 months ago

Listen up guys. What Brownie says is smaller govment means less people, period. Spending can go up as long as the number of people is less. Many departments in Topeka have thought up scenarios of how they could keep their workers and not pay anymore out but no, the word is "head count". So spending and oversight and everything that KS people want can go to hades as long as there are less people.. That is your small gov for you.
I am curious what state has this "small gov"? If Texas is your model you are sadly mistaken, they have more gov than anyone. New Jersey maybe? Not hardly. Maybe Montana but then there is only half our population plus mountains and oil, etc. I hear "small gov" but there is no example of it.

lunacydetector 1 year, 4 months ago

in wisconsin working for the government or a non-profit, or in kansas working for the government or non-profit....always the hand out.....it's a familial thing, isn't it?

JackMcKee 1 year, 4 months ago

take the $75k that's being blown on Art Laffer and use that as a starting point for refunding the arts. People don't want to live in a state with bad schools and no arts no matter if there is an income tax or not.

Ockhams_Razor 1 year, 4 months ago

So, TerryLouis Gregory channels for Brownback budget thoughts nowadays?

theybothblowalot

weiser 1 year, 4 months ago

As always, all the Republicans in this town are at work. Unable to respond to this garbage.

wprop 1 year, 4 months ago

Gov. brownback has submitted a grant application to Devonshire University..................

Al_A 1 year, 4 months ago

Don't worry about who will pay for things. Once again the property taxes on the JoCo residents will be raised to pay for things in the rest of the state. Of course it won't be raised on the business properties because that would be bad for his friends. Raising the sales tax on JoCo won't work because they'll just go across the state line to do their shopping. KCMO will love the new retail business that he will create for them. He's not worried if the mom and pop business go under in Kansas because they don't line his party's pockets like the corporations do.