This is important for all of us with any interest in art, music, dance, theater. C. K. Viehland cid:image001.jpg@01C9CA76.5A4801F0 February 21, 2012 Urgent! All recipients of support from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts! Please read immediately and forward. Dear Colleagues and Friends: This is a call to action to protect state support for the arts In Pennsylvania. The Governor has proposed level funding for the PCA for next year. We must act quickly to support the Governor's proposal. Last year, Governor Corbett proposed level funding for the PCA. This was met by a proposal in the House to cut the PCA by 70%. Fortunately, the Senate restored the funding and the PCA was reduced by only 1%.Three years ago Senate Bill 850 proposed the elimination of all state funding for the PCA. Since 2009, the PCA lost nearly 50% of it grants funding and about 1/3 of its administrative budget. Now is the time to act, and to act in large numbers! Contact your colleagues, fellow staff and board, your customers, clients, supporters, donors, members and those people with whom you do business. Urge them to go to the Citizens for the Arts in Pennsylvania web site to send emails to your legislators. You should also contact legislative leadership. They are listed on the Citizens website. If you use the Citizens website, they will have a record of your email: http://capwiz.com/artsusa/pa/state/main/?state=PA If you or members of your board have a relationship with a legislator, this would be the perfect time to visit or call him or her and/or send a letter of support. It is urgent that everyone act this week to get out in front of any potential threats to state support for arts and culture in PA. Do not forget to thank Governor Corbett for his support. You can also do this from the Citizens for the Arts website. All of this takes less than a minute on the Citizens website. There is an easy-to-use template provided as a starting point. A few seconds now may save us hours, days and weeks of intense efforts in the months to come. Letters and email messages should address these things: Ask your legislators to reply to you with a commitment of support for the Governor's proposed budget for the arts and to support it with their caucus. You can personalize your email via the Citizens website. Emphasize the ways you serve your community, the jobs you support, the economic impact of your programs and the ancillary activities, such as restaurants and other local business and the number of people who use your services. Statewide the non-profit arts sector provides more than 30,000 jobs and more than 62,000 jobs depend on this sector. The non-profit art sector is a nearly one billion dollar industry in Pennsylvania and its presence generates almost twice that in economic activity. Act now and get others to do the same. Thank you for supporting access to the arts for all Pennsylvanians. Sincerely, PhilipSignature.gif Philip Horn Executive Director http://capwiz.com/artsusa/pa/state/main/?state=PA Please note that our email addresses are changing from @state.pa.us to @pa.gov. My new email address is phorn@pa.gov Philip Horn Executive Director Pennsylvania Council on the Arts 216 Finance Bldg. Harrisburg, PA 17120 717-787-1530 direct 717-787-6883 general 717-705-6588 direct fax www.pacouncilonthearts.org phorn@pa.gov
