In Tuesday’s (8/1) Seattle Times, Lynn Thompson reports that on August 1 voters in Seattle rejected “a new tax to support arts, science and culture programs…. Proposition 1, which requested a 0.1 percent sales tax … was …rejected by 55 percent of voters, with 45 percent approving. The measure had widespread support from about 350 arts organizations in the county that would benefit from an infusion of more than $67 million a year. But it was opposed by those who argued that the arts weren’t the highest priority in a region facing crises in homelessness, mental health services and affordable housing…. The proposal was estimated to cost about $30 a year for a family with an income of $80,000…. Under the proposal, arts organizations would be required to provide free and low-cost admissions to arts, science and cultural programs and venues. Large organizations would have to spend 30 percent of their funding to support access by underserved communities and 20 percent of their funding to bring activities to suburban and rural parts of the counties…. Supporters … argued that budget cuts to schools over the past decade had cut arts and science programs in half [leaving some] students without access to the arts.”
Posted August 7, 2017
