In morning open threads, I've been linking to articles about our governor's draconian budget's effects on services like education and health care.
This week, the lead editorial in Gambit Weekly highlights what may be the most far-reaching, and long-lasting damage done by Bobby Jindal's quest to prove himself the ultimate read-my-lips Republican.
In our state, the arts employ over 144,000 people, more than oil and gas, more than tourism, more than any industry but health care. Many of these jobs depend on full or seed funding from government. Now, Gov. Jindal proposes cuts in state arts funding that proportionally dwarf those in education and health care.
This is not hyperbole. While outlays to theaters, symphonies and other large groups under the Statewide Arts Grants programs are slated to be reduced by 31%, smaller, start-up and seed grants offered under the state's Decentralized Arts Fund are targeted by 86%.
These small grants, from $500 to a maximum of $10,000, don't pay for paintings of the Virgin made from elephant dung or crucifixes dunked in pee. They are primarily targeted to small companies and special exhibitions like the Baton Rouge Ballet Theatre, Playmakers, Baton Rouge Gallery, Mid City Dance Project.
More importantly, the DAF grants are essential to reading drives held at public libraries throughout the state, an especially ironic detail considering the lip service Gov. Jindal has given to reading programs. It is assumed that the audience he seeks for his upcoming ghost-written Regnery book will be the same out-of-state campaign donors he has so assiduously courted of late, as far fewer people in the Sportsman's Paradise will be able to read it.
All in all, under Jindal's budget, arts programs will be reduced from $7.3 million to $3.2 million, a savings to the state of over $4 million.
Contrast that with the commitment Jindal made of over $50 million in state money to assist a California company in purchasing the closing Pilgrim's Pride chicken plant in Farmerville. As Mike Stagg points out in a comment to his diary on the Pilgrim's Pride deal, many of the 1,300 jobs saved by the state's bailout of this private industry (that has competitors who will not enjoy the advantage of our tax dollars) are held not by Louisiana residents, but citizens of neighboring Arkansas.
Think about it. Jindal is willing to spend $50 million to save one plant that employs less that one percent of the jobs that the arts support in our state, but unwilling to pony up a lousy four million to ensure that 144,000 of our citizens will be able to maintain their livelihoods.