Stop the tax for art organizations and art teachers now!
Proponents of raising $11 million annually in local taxes to fund art organizations and teachers can just stop their efforts now. Regrettably, as it now stands, I’ll vote “no” and campaign against the proposal. I am against putting any more money into the existing educational system until there are high schools study abroad programs (here, here).
From the Oregonian article “Activists home in on Portland tax for arts on November ballot with Mayor Sam Adams’ backing” by Beth Slovic (here)
A tax to support arts organizations plus music and art education in Portland elementary schools could also appear on the November ballot, meaning Portland voters could face a crowded field of tax measures this year.
"There really is no other timing," said Jessica Jarratt Miller, executive director of the Creative Advocacy Network, which backs the measure and has gotten $350,000 in public support from Mayor Sam Adams since 2009. "It's November or bust.
And:
The arts levy would collect about $11 million a year and mostly would fund arts and music teachers in elementary schools that draw students from Portland. It also would support arts organizations, Jarratt Miller said.
But further details are unclear. Jarratt Miller said another round of polling in April or May would refine the proposal, which isn't expected to include a property tax.
It's her organization's goal to give Adams the best possible proposal, she said. He then would take it to the Portland City Council, which would decide whether to refer it to voters.
This year I’ve proposed that Portland Public Schools allocate $240,000 to send 30 high school students abroad (here). New money is not needed. PPS now spends more than $8,000 per student per year. PPS just needs to shift the money and let funding follow the student. The problem, and the reason we do not now have high school students studying abroad, is that the teachers’ unions (OEA, PAT) oppose such a program for their own narrow, teacher-centric reasons (less money for teachers).
I am an arts supporter (within limits). If PPS had a high school study abroad program, I could enthusiastically support a tax for art programs. But neither PPS, nor any other school district in Portland, now has a high school study abroad program. At $8,000 per student, $11 million (a shift in funding, not new dollars) could send 1,375 Portland high school students abroad for a school year.
Of course, proponents could always put funding for high school study abroad in the art tax proposal. I’ve tried to get City Hall support for high school study abroad before.
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