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Urge Congress to Include the Arts in the National Economic Recovery Plan
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    49 out of 100
    Petitioning
    1. The President of the United States (+ 5 others)
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      • The President of the United States
      • The U.S. Senate
      • The U.S. House of Representatives
      • Your Governor
      • Your State Senate
      • Your State House
  2. Created By
    S F
    Champaign, IL
About this Petition Petition Letter

The arts are essential to the health and vitality of our communities. They enhance community development; spur urban renewal; attract new businesses; draw tourism dollars; and create an environment that attracts skilled, educated workers and builds a robust 21st century workforce.  As Congress considers the American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan, urge them to include the arts and culture so that they can continue to help revitalize America's economy.

The legislative action surrounding jobs funding for the arts in the Economic Recovery Package in Congress is picking up speed, and we need you to take action! Americans for the Arts has been working with Congressional leaders to build support for this emergency funding for local and state arts organizations to prevent job losses during this recession.

House
As you recall, last week the House Appropriations Committee approved a plan that included $50 million in supplemental grants funding for the National Endowment for the Arts, and a number of other provisions that can benefit the arts.  Starting tonight, and continuing tomorrow, the House will be considering the recovery legislation on the floor, and a number of votes are expected.

Senate
The Senate will be starting their debate on the bill on Friday and continuing through next week.  While the Senate Appropriations Committee did not include an arts jobs funding provision in their version of the bill, advocates still have several opportunities over the next few days to change the final outcome.  Amendments could be made to the Senate bill or the House arts funding provision itself could prevail in the final House/Senate conference bill.  Please take two minutes to customize, sign ,and send the petition below and ask your Member of Congress and Senators to support the arts in this legislation.  Americans for the Arts has supplied you with fresh research and key quotes that support this funding -- your help in communicating this information to your Member of Congress is critical. 

Thank you for your support of the arts!

Recent Signatures

Include the Arts in the National Economic Recovery Plan

Dear Representative,

According to the Americans for the Arts, a $50 million investment to the National Endowment for the Arts will provide critical funding to save 14,422 jobs from being lost in the U.S. economy. This is based on the ability of the NEA to leverage $7 in additional support through local, state and private donations, for every $1 in NEA support.

Arts organizations employ performers and curators, but also employ accountants, designers, plumbers, union workers and engineers. In fact, there are more full-time jobs supported by the nonprofit arts than are in accounting, public safety officers, even lawyers and just slightly fewer than elementary school teachers.

There are approximately 100,000 nonprofit arts organizations, which spend $63.1 billion annually. Without an economic stimulus for the nonprofit arts industry, experts expect about 10% of these organizations (ranging from large arts institutions like museums and orchestras to small community-based organizations in suburban, urban and rural areas) to shut their doors in 2009 – a loss of 260,000 jobs.

For those arts organizations that do not go out of business due to the poor economy, it is expected that, on average, the remaining arts organizations will experience up to 20% in budget cuts in 2009, resulting in losses of approximately 468,000 jobs.

In a report released in mid-January, the National Governor's Association stated, "Arts and culture are important to state economies. Arts and culture-related industries, also known as "creative industries," provide direct economic benefits to states and communities: They create jobs, attract investments, generate tax revenues, and stimulate local economies through tourism and consumer purchases."

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