II. Carol Moseley-Braun 1992 Senate campaign
Braun for the Arts Committee
I served as a volunteer field coordinator for the arts community to the Braun for Senate campaign in 1992. In that capacity, I organized the collection of 4,000 signatures from volunteers who canvassed arts festivals, as well as co-organizing a gala event at The Park West nightclub, and co-authoring the campaigns arts and culture policy statement.
Carol Moseley Braun on the Arts
I believe that art is essential to our lives. The arts help
define the American spirit -- that mix of practicality and
imagination. The arts give voice to the many peoples that
are America. The arts are good for the soul -- and they are
good for business. The arts are among our most valued national
resources. They are as important as our libraries and our
parks. An overwhelming majority of Americans endorse strong
government support of the arts. In these tough economic times,
it is good to know that a small investment of our arts is
repaid many times over.
Carol Moseley Braun
I. Support National Funding for the Arts Free of Content Restrictions
I believe the Federal government should support the arts free
of content restrictions. The freedom to create art is a form
of free speech protected by the First Amendment. The American
public has the right to access these creations. American tax
dollars should support the constitutional right to free speech.
Following a pattern of underfunding for the past 12 years,
federal appropriations for FY93 is $176 million, which translates
into $0.64 per person to the arts. A recent Harris poll showed
that the overwhelming majority of Americans support federal
support of the arts with no content restriction -- 69 % of
Americans support an increase of at least $5 in taxes annually
to support the arts. I support an increase in funding to the
minimum level of $1 per person.
I support the National Endowment for the Arts, which is the
federal agency Congress created to support and nourish the
arts in America. For 27 years the National Endowment for the
Arts has maintained an outstanding record of support for arts
programs on the federal, state, and local levels. The Endowment
has been responsible for the proliferation of theaters, museums,
and dance centers throughout America, making the arts accessible
to wide and diverse audiences. The number of arts organizations
has increased six fold. In the performing arts alone, the
dramatic explosion of performing arts companies has resulted
in an increased annual attendance from 14 million to 73 million
people.
The NEA awards direct grants, and acts as a catalyst for public
and private investments in the arts. Without the stimulus
of NEA programs, the arts would be available only to a restricted
number of Americans. NEA's promotion of the arts provides
jobs for hundreds of thousands of artists, designers, directors
and tradespeople who work in the non-profit arts world. I
During the last 12 years, the Endowment has been left severely
underfunded by a pattern of flat budgets which failed to allow
for inflation or expansion of programs. Since 1982 the NEA's
appropriation adjusted for inflation has declined nearly 30%.
Although a vast majority of Americans endorse government support
for the arts, it required a prolonged fight in Congress last
year to secure a mere $174 million for all the arts. Meanwhile,
the Pentagon received $179 million for its armed forces services'
bands. Western European countries each spend from $1 billion
to $6 billion for their arts. Mindful of the needs and benefits
of investing in our culture, I commit to an increase in annual
appropriation levels.
Last year, under the current allocation formula, Illinois,
with its high concentration of artists and art institutions,
received $4.5 million from the NEA in direct grants and $1
million through a block grant to the Illinois Arts Council,
which supported a touring program and the highly respected
artists-in-residence program. The infusion of this $5.5 million
in direct funding to Illinois is important and should be increased
as state and local funding sources shrink.
II. Revitalize Arts Education
I believe the arts challenge students to think broadly, to
attempt the new, and to risk failure. The arts teach creativity.
The arts help people to dare new expression, try various approaches
to problem-solving, use intuition as well as reason, and develop
the discipline required for success in all areas of life.
The arts foster the kind of imaginative problem-solving that
is key to the competitive workplace of the 21st Century.
I want to increase federal funding of education to ensure
the ladder of opportunity is open to all of our children.
The arts should be a major part of our revitalization of education
programs. The arts must be considered a basic subject within
a developmental curriculum. Ultimately, the arts can help
develop a creative, tolerant, and confident work force and
society.
III. Promote the Arts as a Source of Revenue
There are over 2,000 arts organizations in Illinois. There
are over 50,000 artists in Illinois - and 1,600,000 artists
in America. The economic impact of the arts industry on our
communities through travel, tourism, and attendance at performances
is in the billions of dollars. A study showed in 1988 that
the non-profit arts in Illinois alone created $655 million
in economic impact. Of that amount, $85 million came from
tourists who came to this state principally for art.
Arts activity develops and maintains countless businesses.
I support arts and other economic development initiatives,
including those that emphasize cultural tourism and cultural
heritage festivals.
IV. Encourage Community Development through the Arts
The arts foster involvement and give us an opportunity to
build our communities. For the more than 100 national groups
living in our country, the arts are a means of communicating
the universal human condition - our pain, our joy, our uncertainty,
and our aspirations. In this increasingly diverse society,
we must find ways to begin the dialogue that builds social
consensus. The arts often through non-verbal means, give that
opportunity, and provide a common ground to meet and understand
others. In addition, I support legislation which encourages
the open exchange of talent across borders.
V. Protect the First Amendment
We cannot accept any intrusion on our First Amendment rights,
the cornerstone of our democracy. Given the complexity of
direct and indirect funding for public programs at the federal,
state, and local level, any rule which requires citizens to
forfeit their personal freedom in order to qualify for participation
in private-public partnership, is an unwarranted intrusion
of government into our private lives. I support legislation
to reverse such rules.
VI. Maintain “Revenue Foregone” Postal Subsidies
The revenue foregone” appropriation allows art groups
to raise funds from the private sector through direct mail.
By eliminating this subsidy, organizations would be forced
to limit their appeals and, consequently, support would diminish.
As constraints on budgets of arts organizations increase,
the postal subsidy gains importance. The subsidy also allows
arts groups to continue their educational mission by distributing
their publications to broader audiences. I support continued
appropriations for revenue foregone postal subsidies.
VII. Promote Tax Policy to Encourage Private Art Donation
to Museums
Cultural institutions have relied upon the generosity of private
donors for gifts of art and other properties. To guarantee
continued growth in these gifts, tax laws must be in place
that encourage potential donors. Without legislation concerning
gifts of appreciated tangible property, important works of
art will find their way to auction houses and foreign countries,
and our legacy to future generations will be lost. Considering
the price of major visual art works today, museums cannot
compete with private buyers and must rely on government encouragement
for donations through provisions that provide tax advantages
to the donor. We must ensure that works of art continue to
be placed in our museums and cultural institutions where they
are accessible to the viewing public.
