February 20, 2007
The Honorable Arnold Schwarzenegger
Office of the GovernorPosition: SUPPORT
Position: SUPPORTState Capitol
Sacramento, CA 95814
Re: Budget Item # 8260 California Arts Council
Dear Governor Schwarzenegger:
The California Arts Council (CAC) has a long history of making an indispensable contribution to our state's social
and economic life by creating partnerships between schools and artists, giving organizational support to nonprofit arts organizations, bringing performers and artists to isolated rural regions and underserved urban areas and partnerships with other state agencies providing social services to Californians. Although the last four budget cycles have prevented the CAC from continuing many of its grants programs of the past, it remains a valuable resource for more than 10,000 nonprofit organizations and the 37 million Californians it serves.
The nonprofit arts community that the California Arts Council has nurtured over the years is a feeder to California's creative industry. According to the Americans for the Arts Creative Industries 2006 Report (using reliable data from
Dun & Bradstreet and geo-economic analysis,) California is home to 86,012 arts-related businesses that employ 484,657 people in January 2006. These are California businesses; these are California jobs.
“The Arts: A Competitive Advantage for California II” reports nonprofit arts provide $5.4 billion in annual economic activity and generate $300 million in state and local tax revenue. $1.198 million in state spending is a small investment in a sector that brings so much to our great state. California is in its third year of spending three cents per capita on the arts from the state’s general fund. (Guam spends $1.55 per capita.) Imagine the return on California’s investment, if the state spent more.
CAA urges your support for increased state funding for the California Arts Council and its programs to provide more arts for more Californians.
Thank you for your commitment to a better, more creative California. If there are any questions, please feel free to call our legislative advocate, Ms. Kathryn Lynch at (916) 443-0202.
Sincerely,
Lisa Cullen Caretto
California Arts Advocates
President & Legislative Chair
Cc: Members of the Senate and Assembly Budget Committees
Members of the Senate and Assembly Budget Committees Muriel Johnson, Director of the California Arts Council Ms. Kathryn Lynch, Legislative AdvocateP.O. Box 601902 * Sacramento, CA 95860 * T (916) 973-0807 * F (916) 979-1116
www.CaliforniaArtsAdvocates.org * Advocacy@CaliforniaArtsAdvocates.org
