Call to Action: Ask the "Big Chairs" to sustain funding for the North Carolina Arts Council.

Call to Action Immediate Response Needed

Before we've even had a chance to inform everyone of the tremendous response at ARTS Day, we are propelled into the thick of the legislative budget process. We have received word that the House budget could be presented to the Appropriations Chairs as early as Thursday, May 27. The Senate budget included a 5% reduction in Grassroots Arts and a 7% reduction in Program Grants, and we want this money restored in the House budget.  

 

THIS WILL BE OUR ONE AND ONLY OPPORTUNITY FOR WHOLESALE ADVOCACY TO SUSTAIN FUNDING FOR THE NORTH CAROLINA ARTS COUNCIL'S GRANTS PROGRAMS. 

 

Every individual action is hugely significant in the accelerated budget process for 2010-11.

House General Government Committee will begin meeting on Tuesday morning. Therefore, if you live in the counties of either Representative Susan Fisher (Buncombe) or Alice Underhill (Craven), Co-Chairs of General Government, please call their offices immediately and either speak with their Legislative Assistant or leave a voice mail. Respectfully request that the House follow Governor Perdue's recommendation for sustained grants funding and please restore the 5% and 7% reductions made in the Senate budget.

• Representative Susan Fisher: 919/715-2013
• Representative Alice Underhill: 919/733-5853

The schedule indicates that General Government will present their recommendations to the Chairs of Appropriations/Base Budget on Thursday and that the Appropriations Chairs will continue to meet through the Memorial Day weekend. Therefore we are asking every advocate who receives this e-mail (please forward as well) to write a letter to the Appropriations Chairs requesting that the House budget follow Governor Perdue's recommended level of funding for the North Carolina Arts Council grants programs.

We regret to say that e-mail is no longer considered an effective form of mass communication. Our electronic program does allow the same process of creating a communication, only you will be cued to print letters rather than send e-mails. Please check the instructions included when you Take Action Now. When you Take Action Now, you will be directed to the key talking points for your letter.

It is imperative that the hard copy, first class letters be mailed no later than noon on Saturday, May 22.

Let us all join together to build the momentum begun at ARTS Day so necessary to sustain funding for the North Carolina Arts Council. Our industry can and will flourish if we speak for the arts. Now. Today.

 

Take Action Now!