Let’s do the math

It’s time for arts advocates to raise their voices (and calculators) in support of keeping state arts funding at the current level of $8.262 million, as recommended by Governor Corbett. Pennsylvania legislators are meeting now to pass the budget for Fiscal Year 2011-12 and House Bill 1485 is proposing to cut the budget for the Pennsylvania Council of the Arts to $2.5 million. A 70% reduction would deliver a serious blow to the Lehigh Valley’s cultural community and to future state tax revenues.

For starters, the Lehigh Valley’s nonprofit arts industry is a tremendous source of tax revenue for the Commonwealth. According to the Arts & Economic Prosperity III study (2007), the Lehigh Valley’s nonprofit arts industry has an economic impact of $169.11 million annually and generates $11.1 million in state tax revenues alone. Let’s do the math: Thirty-one Lehigh Valley nonprofit cultural organizations now receive $350,000 annually from the PCA while the Lehigh Valley nonprofit arts industry gives back $11.1 million annually in state tax revenues. That equates to a 3,180 % return on the state’s investment! Let's not be penny wise and pound foolish.

The PCA and the 700 nonprofit arts groups it funds annually sustained a huge cut in FY2009-10, when their budget was reduced from $14.5 million to $8.262. Any further reduction would jeopardize the health of the nonprofit arts industry as it struggles to recover from the economic recession of the past few years.

This situation is urgent and needs your immediate attention! Sign this petition NOW to let your state representatives know that maintaining funding to the PCA at $8.626 million is a priority!