The historic Watts Towers

The City of Los Angeles Budget and Finance Committee has put forward a motion to eliminate the Department of Cultural Affairs’ dedicated source of revenue, 1% of the Transit Occupancy Tax (TOT).This means the immediate elimination of the Department of Cultural Affairs’ grants program, and much of the administration funding for 18 of the city’s arts centers, including the Watts Towers.

As you know, arts and culture are important economic drivers for Los Angeles, and are an important part of our economic recovery. Arts mean jobs, arts bring cultural tourists, arts lower youth crime rates, and arts create economic development. With no plan for reinstituting this dedicated source of revenue, this motion could mean the end of public investment for arts and culture for generations to come.

Please take two minutes of your time to contact your councilmembers, or the sponsors of the motion, to voice your support for the arts and your opposition to this motion:

Eric Garcetti, the City Council President
http://advocate.artsforla.org/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=1712

Jan Perry, the City Councilmember for Downtown Los Angeles-
http://advocate.artsforla.org/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=1708

Join Arts for LA at the Los Angeles City Council meeting on February 3rd, 2010, to give public testimony regarding the value of the Department of Cultural Affairs.
https://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/5768/p/salsa/event/common/public/?event_KEY=18394

Check the Arts for LA for updates:
http://www.artsforla.org/

Tweet This  Plurk This  Buzz This  Delicious This  Digg This  Facebook This  MySpace This  Ping This  Reddit This  Stumble This