In November, Vermonters went to the polls to elect a new Governor, Lieutenant Governor, 150 State Representatives and 30 State Senators. Given the challenges facing our state and the need for visionary leaders, this election gives arts advocates an opportunity to educate candidates about the vital role the arts play in Vermont's economic recovery.
As the state's primary source for arts information, the Arts Council wanted to provide a clear and accurate picture of each candidate's level of commitment to the arts and arts education. We sent a survey to those running for Governor, Lt. Governor, House and Senate and about 40% responded.
We are very grateful to those who replied and we urge you to review what they had to say. In the weeks ahead we hope you will talk to candidates about the arts issues that affect you and your community. Thank them if they are supportive and educate them if they are not. Our advocacy section below provides talking points, resources and strategies to help you along the way, and you can always contact us if you have questions or need support to make your case.
Together we’ll work toward getting arts-supportive leadership in the Vermont State House.
Click here to review candidate responses.
Candidates for Governor, Lt. Governor, House and Senate were asked to consider four issues—Arts Council funding, Act 160 (Non-profit tax legislation), Arts Education funding and Cultural Facilities Grant Program funding. An issue brief on each topic is followed by two statements. Candidates were asked to respond to the statements using the following scale: 1 - Strongly Agree; 2 – Agree; 3 – Disagree; 4 - Strongly Disagree; and 5 - Not Sure
Below are the survey questions.
CLICK HERE for responses at a glance (Note: a green check mark indicates a score of 1 or 2 (a favorable response), a red 'x' indicates a score of 3 or 4 (not in favor), and a black '?' indicates a response of 'not sure'.)
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CLICK HERE for pdf format that includes all comments and responses (VERY LARGE FILE).
ISSUE: ARTS COUNCIL FUNDING
The Vermont Arts Council’s FY2011 Legislative Appropriation is $507,000, or approximately 45/1000 of 1% of the State’s General Fund and about equal to the cost of paving a half-mile of road in Vermont. Yet this small investment yields a large return: Arts Council grants to individual artists, arts organizations, schools and community organizations trigger, on average, a 3:1 local and private match. The Arts Council is eligible for $813,000 in Federal funding from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) in FY11. However the State’s current appropriation falls nearly $306,000 shy of meeting the NEA’s required 1:1 match which puts Vermont at risk of losing this vital federal funding.
Q1A: The State should not risk losing $300,000 in Federal Funds from the NEA to support the Vermont arts sector and should increase its appropriation to the Arts Council.
Q1B: A healthy arts sector is key to Vermont’s economic recovery efforts, creative economy and tourism industry, and provides significant dividends in sales/use and meals/rooms tax revenue.
ISSUE: ACT 160 (NON-PROFIT SALES TAX LEGISLATION)
The Vermont Legislature passed H. 783, now Act 160, which requires non-profit arts organizations with annual tickets sales of $50,000 or more to charge a 6% sales tax beginning April 1, 2011. An Arts Council survey of arts organizations indicates that this tax will generate $400,000-$600,000 in new revenue for the General Fund each year.
Q2A: A portion of the revenue raised through this tax should be used to meet the NEA’s required match, which enables the Arts Council to provide grants and services to Vermont artists and arts organizations.
Q2B: Act 160 should be repealed because the amount of potential revenue generated by the tax does not compensate for the potential burden and audience attrition Vermont’s struggling non-profit arts organizations will experience.
ISSUE: ARTS EDUCATION FUNDING
Studies done on student engagement, preparation for the 21st Century workforce, and even on the function of the brain itself reveal that arts education is a key factor to student success. Workers trained in the arts are vital to the success of many Vermont businesses including software development, telecommunications and new media. Vermont’s Department of Education has set high standards and grade expectations for the arts. However, access to quality arts education varies across the state as local school boards weigh their priorities against their limited resources. As a result, dozens of schools have cut back or eliminated arts education programs, placing at risk a generation of Vermonters with insufficient cultural experiences to help them learn and prepare for the future.
Q3A: Arts education is a vital part of a K-12 education and additional funds should be made available to ensure that every school district can support programs in the visual and performing arts.
Q3B: Exposure to the arts in cultural venues is a vital part of a child’s education. Additional funds should be made available to community arts organization to underwrite the costs of hosting student groups and to ensure that performances tie in with school curricula.
ISSUE: CULTURAL FACILITIES GRANT PROGRAM FUNDING
Since 1989, the Cultural Facilities Grant Program has helped nonprofit organizations and municipalities improve, revive or refurbish historic Vermont buildings. For the past five years, the appropriation has ranged from $180,000 to $200,000 annually funding approximately 15 projects each year. On average these projects employ 100 contractors (carpenters, plumbers, electricians, etc.) to complete the funded renovations. Each year about one-third of the grant applicants are denied due to lack of grant funds. The average shortfall the past four years has been $90,000.
Q4A: Funding for the Cultural Facilities Grant program should be funded at a minimum of $200,000 per year.
Q4B: Additional funds (up to $50,000) should be made available each year to support and maintain collections held in the care of our historic sites, historical societies, and museums and galleries.
CLICK HERE to view candidate responses in Excel Format (Please note: If you choose to review the results in Excel, you will notice that you can not see the entire answer given in the comments boxes. To view the complete response, you will need to click on that cell and read the full answer at the top of your screen. Alternatively, once you have downloaded the file, you can select all cells, and edit the row height to "auto fit" the content. If you have any problems reviewing the results, please contact us.)
or
CLICK HERE for pdf format (LARGE FILE).