Echoing the states of Kansas and Texas, South Carolina governor, Nikki Haley, is threatening to end the funding for the state arts commission.
This time, the governor is threatening with a veto pen. The state legislature did provide funding in its budget to fund the arts commission but Haley has made her position clear from the get-go that she intends on ending taxpayer support of the arts on a state level.
The total sum of the line item in the budget is $2.05 million dollars.
This amount is small in the grand scheme but does allow for matching grants from the National Endowment for the Arts.
What it does NOT do is balance the South Carolina budget.
According to the Moore School of Business at Emory University of South Carolina, the arts employ 78,000 people and bring $9.2 billion to the state economy with an additional $500 million in tax revenue. Surely, there are not large numbers of examples of investments made on behalf of taxpayers who see that kind of return.
As is the case in Kansas, who ended funding of the state arts commission, the most likely significant impact will be felt in the rural areas of the state – just the areas that need the arts the most.
Too bad.
Perhaps the state legislature will override the expected veto by the governor.
Matt
http://www.heraldonline.com/2011/06/15/3147543/dont-cut-arts-funding.html
http://www.governor.sc.gov/Pages/index.aspx
http://www.southcarolinaarts.com/
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