Bill seeks to eliminate funding for Oklahoma Arts Council

[mkjeeves]

The arts in Oklahoma generate about $29 million in annual tax revenue for state coffers, according to a 2010 study by Americans for the Arts. So what does 23-year-old State Representative Josh Cockroft (R-Tecumseh) want to do?

Eliminate the $4-million annual state subsidy to the Oklahoma Arts Council.

And why does he want to do it?

As a cost-saving measure, of course.

"The time has come to set priorities and to exercise spending discipline," Cockroft wrote to constituents in a letter defending his introduction of a bill to wipe out state arts funding. The letter purports to champion government efficiency, offering up a mathematical hallucination that might help to explain why, according to Sunshine Review, the state faces a debt of more than $36 billion.

PHOTOS: Arts and culture in pictures

Someone needs to read Aesop's story of the goose and the golden egg to young Rep. Cockroft.

The short-sighted plan to cook the arts goose is in fact being driven by ideology, not arithmetic. Cockroft's measure, scheduled to be formally introduced Feb. 4, came out of the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs, a local right-wing think tank modeled on Washington's Heritage Foundation.

The council has ties to the American Legislative Exchange Council, a private "bill mill" for state legislation funded by conservative billionaire brothers Charles and David Koch. Oklahoma is following neighboring Kansas, where Koch Industries is headquartered, to eradicate public arts funding.

De-funding the arts is a privatizing scheme. “The Arts Council can operate solely from donations and self-generated funds, without receiving state appropriations," the OCPA asserted in March. Cockroft concurs, noting in his letter that he agrees with OCPA "wholeheartedly."

As a state government agency, however, the Oklahoma Arts Council notes that in fact it cannot raise its own funding. Nor does Crockroft's letter say how, exactly, $4 million in existing private donations likely to be diverted away from arts programs across the state to fund the agency might be made up. Finally, the state would also lose its $750,000 federal grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, further widening the funding gap.

Cockroft supports the so-called state sovereignty movement, last week co-writing the Oklahoma Firearms Freedom Act that would exempt guns or ammunition made in Oklahoma from federal regulations, such as the assault weapons ban just introduced by Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.). He also supported a recent ALEC-sponsored "personhood" amendment to the state constitution, declaring that a fertilized egg in a woman's womb has full rights to due process and equal treatment of a person.

The Oklahoma Supreme Court invalidated the amendment. According to the Christian Science Monitor, the high court agreed with "personhood" opponents who argued that, in addition to banning legal abortion, the amendment would block use of many forms of contraception and in vitro fertilization.

In light of the new move against the Oklahoma Arts Council, Cockroft apparently believes that private decision-making is terrible for women but excellent for the arts.


LA Times

[OKCTalker]

Twenty-three years old? So this guy gets elected, is from an under-represented demographic in the legislature, wants to make his mark in the world, and he leads with this?

If Washington tax reform eliminates charitable deductions, then contributions to arts organizations will also take a big hit. If this guy eliminates state funding of the arts, then you'll see the closure of arts institutions, events and exhibits all across the state.

[HangryHippo]

More genius from Oklahoma lawmakers.

[bchris02]

Does anybody think this will pass? If it does, it could be terrible for OKC and the state in general. Stuff like this is why this state is seen as such a backward place and such an unwelcome place for educated young people.

[kevinpate]

Will it pass? It shouldn't.
Could it pass? Well, yeah, in today's legislature, if it makes it through the process to a floor vote, there are more than enough folks who would fear a backlash if they voted against it. Hopefully the zanies don't yet have the leadership all sewed up.

[onthestrip]

This is some rural, 23 year old Glenn Beck worshiper who probably has not ever had much involvlement in the way of the arts. He argues that this money (only $4million of about a $7billion budget) is better spent on education. Well do you know what the Arts Council uses their funding for? Thats right, art education.

I like how we ignore making changes to our prison system when it costs the state almost $500million a year but by golly, we got to strip the measly $4million from the arts. This kid is another joke in the long line of jokers that we call Oklahoma lawmakers.

[bchris02]

From what I understand, a measley $4 million in the state budget brings more than 5 times that amount back into the state economy in taxes and supports 10,000 jobs. I don't see how anybody could think this is a good idea. I plan on writing my state representatives suggesting them to vote against this bill, though I'm not sure how much good it would do.

[RadicalModerate]

This is a disturbing development . . . "Art" is a form of prophecy/vision and as someone very wise once said, a long, long time ago, "where there is no [prophecy/vision], the people perish." Apparently the author (and supporters) of this bill also don't believe in the concept that "man does not live by bread alone." Perhaps people could choose to donate to organizations like the Arts Council and take a 100% deduction of that amount from their personal income tax bill to the State? (i know . . . i know . . . "crazy talk" . . . much like the content of this bill and its author who we involutarily support with our tax dollars.)

[bchris02]

I will actually be surprised if this doesn't pass. Would this mean the closing of the OKC museum of art?

[venture]

I think someone got a D in art class and is butt hurt about it. :-P

[adaniel]

Will it pass? It shouldn't.
Could it pass? Well, yeah, in today's legislature, if it makes it through the process to a floor vote, there are more than enough folks who would fear a backlash if they voted against it. Hopefully the zanies don't yet have the leadership all sewed up.

While I wouldn't put anything past the current crop of MENSA members currently occupying the state capitol, the chance of this passing is pretty low. I've heard no other officials rushing to the support this, and the reaction from the state art community has been swift. It will be like most bills that originate that only serve to embarrass the state but ultimately die or are overturned by the court. In the mean time, I would encourage everyone to pen a polite yet strongly worded email to Mr. Cockcroft just in case. I plan on doing so this afternoon.

Its worth noting that they did this in Kansas (the only state in the union to do so), only to reverse it this year after they lost several matching federal grants. I'm a little freaked out by how many people at the capitol are holding up Kansas as some sort of model we should be following. That state is a fiscal trainwreck.

[onthestrip]

I like how Cockcroft also made his official State Representative twitter account private after thelostogle.com wrote about it. Seems like an odd thing to do for a public official. And if you cant handle the backlash from your own bill, maybe you shouldnt have written it.

[Midtowner]

I read the young fella's blog. The first red flag was that he admitted to only reading OCPAC's research, which is just amazing. OCPAC is a PAC run by a fella named Charlie Meadows, a professional window washer. OCPAC's arch nemesis ain't Demoncrats, it's Al Gerhart and the Sooner Tea Party (who has been advancing candidates such as Paul Blair and those two carmudgeons who ran for spots on the horseshoe a short time ago). The scholarship of their studies is as you might guess, questionable.

As far as the Kansas experience, Cockcroft didn't mention anything about Kansas fully reinstating the funding the very next year following public outcry. What you have here isn't anything remarkable. Just a 23 year old HVAC technician by trade from Tecumsah, OK, not particularly smart or educated doing precisely what you'd expect a young, inexperienced and uneducated kid to do in state government.

[Just the facts]

Not to pick sides, but how is it that the "arts industry" can generate $29 million tax revenue when they can't even generate the $4 million to stay in business? I think maybe they have been using some unrealistic multipliers to over-state their impact (kind of like the Indian Center claims they will generate $2 billion).

[bchris02]

Not to pick sides, but how is it that the "arts industry" can generate $29 million tax revenue when they can't even generate the $4 million to stay in business? I think maybe they have been using some unrealistic multipliers to over-state their impact (kind of like the Indian Center claims they will generate $2 billion).

It's probably factoring in everything that goes along with it. If you are going to an arts event, you'll probably also pay for parking, pay for the event, purchase something, go to a restaurant or bar after the event, etc. It may be overstated, but its almost certain the state gets more out of it than it puts into it.

KFOR did a poll and over 90% of respondents were against this bill. Now I know the Internet trends younger and more liberal than the population at large, but hopefully that's a good indication of the support this bill will actually get i.e. nada.

[ljbab728]

Not to pick sides, but how is it that the "arts industry" can generate $29 million tax revenue when they can't even generate the $4 million to stay in business? I think maybe they have been using some unrealistic multipliers to over-state their impact (kind of like the Indian Center claims they will generate $2 billion).

Kerry, the "arts industry" represents considerably more than just this organization. I don't think anyone was saying that the OAC directly, by itself, generates that much in taxes. I think it fosters a culture which helps all of the art industry, however, so an attempt at defending indirectly affects all aspects of the "art industry" in Oklahoma. A comparison to the Indian Museum is really stretching things.

[mkjeeves]

The full report containing the methodology, complete with the algebraic equation used, is available by a link on the Arts Council response to the bill at arts.ok.gov

[ljbab728]

An interesting and reasonable comment by a fellow Republican legislator.

Rep. David Dank, R-Oklahoma City, described Cockroft's bill as “shooting a gnat with a cannon.”

Dank said trimming the budget is important, but removing $4 million in arts funding from a $6.6 billion state budget is not the first place he would start.

Reforming tax credit loopholes and reducing redundancies in Oklahoma's county districts, district attorney's offices and school districts would have a far more significant impact on the budget than eliminating the Oklahoma Arts Council, he said.

“Cutting the arts should not be a priority,” Dank said. “Businesses don't move businesses to a state, people do, and the people that are moving these companies like art. They want OETA. They're not going to move to a place that's backward in these areas.

Art funding the latest target of Oklahoma budget trimmers | NewsOK.com

[RadicalModerate]

While I wouldn't put anything past the current crop of MENSA members currently occupying the state capitol . . .

Dude! I salute the sarcastic accuracy of your wise-cracking observation here . . . but with a comment like that you'll have all demographics from Scientologists to Objectivists to Tea Partiers waving NRA (national recovery act) Supporter Banners all up yo' [behind] =)

Suggestion To The (mensa, heh heh heh) DecisionMakers: Don't SNAFU The Arts. (google it)

(note to JTF: if they are going to extort money from me every day of every year i want at least some of it to go toward something worthwhile: the best weapons and armor available for our troops and something worth protecting (art and all that it reveals and edifies about the best of human nature).

[HangryHippo]

An interesting and reasonable comment by a fellow Republican legislator.





Art funding the latest target of Oklahoma budget trimmers | NewsOK.com

Is it just me or is anyone else having trouble believing David Dank is who the article quotes? Wasn't he the one that thought tax credits for historic preservation should be done away with?

[Just the facts]

So if I don't spend $5 to park at an Arts event what happens to that $5? Does it cease to exist never to be spent on anything else?

[mkjeeves]

So if I don't spend $5 to park at an Arts event what happens to that $5? Does it cease to exist never to be spent on anything else?

It stays in your pocket and someone else gets your parking spot.

Let me ask you this...did the Thunder have any effect on the local economy? How little or how much?

[Just the facts]

It stays in your pocket and someone else gets your parking spot.

Let me ask you this...did the Thunder have any effect on the local economy? How little or how much?

That's a good question. Certainly people come to Thunder games who other wise wouldn't make a trip to OKC and it has impacted where money gets spent within the City. If you ask the Thunder in 2008 they will tell you they don't have any financial impact. We know this to be true because the City of Seattle asked them and the then-Sonics said they didn't have any financial imapct. On the other hand, certain city leaders claim we need an $85 million boulevard to handle Thunder traffic 41 nights a year.

At the end of the day, I would say the true value of the Thunder to the city is the intangibles - llike quality of life. A good arguments could be made that the $4 million to the arts council fall under that same heading, and I wouldn't disagree with that.

[zookeeper]

The nimwit has admitted on his Twitter feed it has no chance of passing, he seems like he wish he never had this big idea.

[Snowman]

I read it more as accepting that it is going nowhere, he made a post to the response it has got, which was pretty much just saying why he though it was a good idea.