[NEohioPAL]Advocacy: Public Funding for the Arts

Fri Mar 7 16:56:15 PST 2003

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The Cuyahoga County Commisioners are considering putting public funding for 
the arts on a countywide ballot, but they need encouragement to commit to 
such a step.  I am writing to encourage everyone on the NEOhioPal list to 
correspond with our three country commissioners to express support for public 
funding for the arts and specifically to request that public funding for the 
arts be placed on an upcoming ballot countrywide.  At a recent Arts Summit 
meeting, CPAC (the Community Partnership for Arts and Culture) emphasized 
"arts and culture message points" to include in such letters:

* Arts and culture are part of our area's economic future.
* Arts and culture strengthen our area's image and are assets in attracting 
world class talent to Cleveland in a variety of arenas.
* Arts and culture provide services to young people and families and make 
this area a great environment for families.

I'm sure you can think of others or other ways to express these points.  
Perhaps you could include statistics about how many patrons/citizens your own 
organization impacts.  The case is stronger if each person sends an 
individual letter rather than a form letter.  But for your information, the 
letter I sent on behalf of CTC is included below.  

Here are the names of the County Commissioners; all are at the same address.  
Please write letters yourselves and ask board members to do so as well.

Jimmy Dimora
Tim McCormack
Peter Lawson Jones

Board of County Commissioners
1219 Ontario
County Administration Building, 4th Floor
Cleveland, Ohio 44113

Here's my letter as a sample:

March 6, 2003

Jimmy Dimora
County Commissioner
Board of County Commissioners
1219 Ontario
County Administration Building, 4th Floor
Cleveland, Ohio 44113

Dear Commissioner Dimora,

I am writing to express support for public funding for the arts in Cuyahoga 
County.  The arts are fundamental to Greater Cleveland's quality of life and 
continued vitality.  The arts are a sound investment because art related 
activities make a significant contribution to the county's economy.  Artists 
and arts patrons are voters and citizens who make sacrifices to entertain, 
stimulate, and inspire their fellow citizens, especially the young people who 
are our future.  Arts "products" need support because it cannot be priced at 
its true cost.  Please consider putting public support for the arts on the 
Cuyahoga County ballot in the near future. 

Sincerely,

Margaret Lynch
Co-Chair, Cleveland Theater Collective

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<HTML>The Cuyahoga County Commi=
sioners are considering putting public funding for the arts on a countywide=20=
ballot, but they need encouragement to commit to such a step.  I am wri=
ting to encourage everyone on the NEOhioPal list to correspond with our thre=
e country commissioners to express support for public funding for the arts a=
nd specifically to request that public funding for the arts be placed on an=20=
upcoming ballot countrywide.  At a recent Arts Summit meeting, CPAC (th=
e Community Partnership for Arts and Culture) emphasized "arts and culture m=
essage points" to include in such letters:
 
 * Arts and culture are part of our area's economic future.
 * Arts and culture strengthen our area's image and are assets in attract=
ing world class talent to Cleveland in a variety of arenas.
 * Arts and culture provide services to young people and families and mak=
e this area a great environment for families.
 
 I'm sure you can think of others or other ways to express these points.=20=
 Perhaps you could include statistics about how many patrons/citizens y=
our own organization impacts.  The case is stronger if each person send=
s an individual letter rather than a form letter.  But for your informa=
tion, the letter I sent on behalf of CTC is included below.  
 
 Here are the names of the County Commissioners; all are at the same addr=
ess.  Please write letters yourselves and ask board members to do so as=
 well.
 
 Jimmy Dimora
 Tim McCormack
 Peter Lawson Jones
 
 Board of County Commissioners
 1219 Ontario
 County Administration Building, 4th Floor
 Cleveland, Ohio 44113
 
 Here's my letter as a sample:
 
 March 6, 2003
 
 
 Jimmy Dimora
 County Commissioner
 Board of County Commissioners
 1219 Ontario
 County Administration Building, 4th Floor
 Cleveland, Ohio 44113
 
 
 Dear Commissioner Dimora,
 
 I am writing to express support for public funding for the arts in Cuyah=
oga County.  The arts are fundamental to Greater Cleveland's quality of=
 life and continued vitality.  The arts are a sound investment because=20=
art related activities make a significant contribution to the county's econo=
my.  Artists and arts patrons are voters and citizens who make sacrific=
es to entertain, stimulate, and inspire their fellow citizens, especially th=
e young people who are our future.  Arts "products" need support becaus=
e it cannot be priced at its true cost.  Please consider putting public=
 support for the arts on the Cuyahoga County ballot in the near future.=20
 
 
 
 Sincerely,
 
 
 
 Margaret Lynch
 Co-Chair, Cleveland Theater Collective</HTML>

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