HARD TIMES NO LICENSE TO ROB THE ARTS

With a tumbling economy, declining attendance and tapped-out donors, things are hard enough for the arts, historical museums and other cultural institutions. That’s why it’s all the more disturbing to see Oregon lawmakers rummaging for money in the only statewide source of arts funding, the cultural trust.

Oregon’s elected officials still don’t get it. Art and cultural institutions, even in hard times, are not frills, are not disposable and certainly are not piggy banks to break into for a million dollars here or there to prop up other state services.

The Obama administration doesn’t get it, either. The administration has included in its tax plan a proposal to cap the tax credit for philanthropic gifts to nonprofits, including arts and culture institutions. Fine, raise income taxes on the wealthy, but why, just when things are getting awfully hard out there for nonprofits, reduce the incentive for people of means to help them survive? Read More.