Now is the time to join MCA!
12/10/02
The state of Minnesota has just announced a deficit that nears $5 billion. Across the country, most other states are also posting deficits. State funding supports the artists and arts organizations that you love in every corner of Minnesota. But the arts are threatened. Across the country, arts budgets are being slashed.
Among states with line items for the arts, significant recent cuts include:
Arkansas - ARTS CUT BY 47%
California - ARTS CUT BY 50%
Massachusetts - ARTS CUT BY 62%
Will Minnesota be next?
Not if we have anything to say about it!
Although Minnesota is facing a historic deficit, Governor-elect Tim Pawlenty has pledged not to raise taxes to reduce the deficit. So cuts to state agencies and programs - which could include the Minnesota State Arts Board and the Regional Arts Councils - are almost certain. What is not certain is the depth of those cuts.
Last session, with the help of arts advocates like you, Minnesota Citizens for the Arts convinced the Legislature to reduce the cut to the arts to 4%. It took the entire arts community to prevent even deeper cuts. This year, MCA will work hard to keep Minnesota arts funding safe. But we can’t do it alone.
MCA has been successful at fighting cuts in the past with the help of arts advocates like you all across the state. You can add a powerful voice to the choir of arts advocates who believe that the arts in Minnesota are worth fighting for. By becoming a member of MCA, you or your arts organization can help us continue lobbying, organizing and educating citizens and elected officials about the vital role of the arts in our state. Become a member of Minnesota Citizens for the Arts. The state of the arts is depending on it.
You can join by printing out the membership form by clicking here. Individual dues are just $30, and a household membership is just $40. Thank you!
Sincerely yours,
Rebecca Lynn Petersen
Chair, Membership Committee
P.S. Renew now and get benefits like the Advocacy Update newsletter, Advocacy Seminars, an invitation to MCA’s Annual Meeting, and Arts Alerts by fax or e-mail! MCA is funded entirely by the dues of its members. Do you appreciate receiving up to the minute news on the fate of the arts in the Minnesota State Legislature and Congress? We could not provide Arts Alerts if it werenât for the wonderful and committed arts advocates who show their commitment by joining MCA.