Monday, August 19, 2013

Fulton County Proposes Cutting Arts Funding 100% -- Bad Timing!

ARTS ALERT:

I just wrote the following email message to my Fulton county commissioner (relating to the Fulton County Commission Manager's recommendation that we cut the arts budget by 100%!) Feel free to "borrow" any or all of my text:

Dear Commissioner Hausmann,

I am sure you appreciate the value of the arts to our community and economy,
and would hope that you agree slashing the arts budget 100% is counter-productive.

I am a member of several arts organizations including Georgia Production Partnerships,
Atlanta Film Festival and Women's Caucus for Arts of Georgia.  I am also a financial advisor
and former business columnist for the Los Angeles times.

Putting all the pieces in logical fashion, one of the most attractive pieces in Georgia's
economy, and certainly a piece we would be wise to nourish, is the film and television
industry that is currently embracing our state and investing heavily here. It is
bringing BILLIONS of dollars in revenue into Georgia.

As someone who is involved has been involved in the film and television industry in
California and currently here in Georgia, I am very aware of the integrated nature
of all the arts and the film industry. It pulls talents from all the arts. They use dancers,
artists, animators, actors, light designers and a hoard of other individuals with talents
that relate to the arts in every way imaginable. It would be the most short-sighted
management of our budget to cut funding for the arts at this moment in time.

Cutting arts funding? When the arts feed a major industry that we are trying to
romance and entice into our backyard?  Please convey this message to those who
have not thought all of this through. I have friends in Hollywood who are painfully
aware of business moving to Georgia. Is everyone on the Fulton County Commission
getting the message?

If I can be of any further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Thank you very much,

Loretta Andre Paraguassu

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