2008 Woodie Awards
California arts may lose $14M
Beth Walker--The California Aggie (U. California-Davis)
Issue date: 5/23/03 Section: News
- Page 1 of 1
(U-WIRE) DAVIS, Calif. - As the California state Legislature meets in committees this week to review the governor's proposed budget cuts for 2003-2004, government funding for the arts faces a dismal future.
The California Arts Council, which expanded its arts education after July 2001 because of budget surplus, may lose another $5.5 million in Gov. Gray Davis' latest budget revise, which would scratch a total of $14 million in arts resources for 2003-2004.
"It's quite a cut, one of many cuts," said State Representative Lois Wolk (D-Davis).
"There are no good choices" in a recession year, she added, listing rising student fees, decreased health care spending and cuts for public libraries as "horrible choices."
Windfall from economically strong years in the past decade gave the CAC greater funds than ever before to build up new enrichment programs after 2001. The disproportionate cuts hit educators and champions for the arts hard, said Barbara Hoffmann, who trains future teachers at UC Davis.
The governor proposes to eliminate all funds for Artists in Residence, State Local Partners, Special Initiatives and Traditional Folk Arts programs. The 2002-2003 state budget allocated $20 million to the CAC; this year's budget cut that figure by 75 percent.
The $5 million budget includes $1.5 million for the Simon Wiesenthal Center Museum of Tolerance to train law enforcement, educators and librarians on tolerance and diversity. The remaining $3.5 million will be split between 1,600 organizations.
Hoffmann, who teaches the Arts Methods class at the University of California-Davis School of Education, said that the UC had not cut any arts funding, but her students would be entering K-12 classrooms next fall that will experience the decreased resources.
"Arts tend to be at the bottom; now they're not even going to be on the page," said Hoffmann. "It's discouraging, but you tend to be fighting this battle."
Government spending on arts education has declined across the nation with California and Massachusetts sustaining the most massive cutbacks, according to the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies' Web page.
"The arts are not being targeted," said Kimber Craine, communications manager for NASAA, speaking from Washington, D.C., "State cuts between 7 to 12 percent are proportionate to other services cuts."
More federal funding cannot be expected, Craine said, because federal grants are given based on population. The federal budget for the National Endowment for the Arts has increased by $1 million, because although the country can go into deficit, states cannot.
The Senate and state Assembly are expected to vote at the end of May. The governor typically signs the budget in summer.
The California Arts Council, which expanded its arts education after July 2001 because of budget surplus, may lose another $5.5 million in Gov. Gray Davis' latest budget revise, which would scratch a total of $14 million in arts resources for 2003-2004.
"It's quite a cut, one of many cuts," said State Representative Lois Wolk (D-Davis).
"There are no good choices" in a recession year, she added, listing rising student fees, decreased health care spending and cuts for public libraries as "horrible choices."
Windfall from economically strong years in the past decade gave the CAC greater funds than ever before to build up new enrichment programs after 2001. The disproportionate cuts hit educators and champions for the arts hard, said Barbara Hoffmann, who trains future teachers at UC Davis.
The governor proposes to eliminate all funds for Artists in Residence, State Local Partners, Special Initiatives and Traditional Folk Arts programs. The 2002-2003 state budget allocated $20 million to the CAC; this year's budget cut that figure by 75 percent.
The $5 million budget includes $1.5 million for the Simon Wiesenthal Center Museum of Tolerance to train law enforcement, educators and librarians on tolerance and diversity. The remaining $3.5 million will be split between 1,600 organizations.
Hoffmann, who teaches the Arts Methods class at the University of California-Davis School of Education, said that the UC had not cut any arts funding, but her students would be entering K-12 classrooms next fall that will experience the decreased resources.
"Arts tend to be at the bottom; now they're not even going to be on the page," said Hoffmann. "It's discouraging, but you tend to be fighting this battle."
Government spending on arts education has declined across the nation with California and Massachusetts sustaining the most massive cutbacks, according to the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies' Web page.
"The arts are not being targeted," said Kimber Craine, communications manager for NASAA, speaking from Washington, D.C., "State cuts between 7 to 12 percent are proportionate to other services cuts."
More federal funding cannot be expected, Craine said, because federal grants are given based on population. The federal budget for the National Endowment for the Arts has increased by $1 million, because although the country can go into deficit, states cannot.
The Senate and state Assembly are expected to vote at the end of May. The governor typically signs the budget in summer.