A bill that would transfer control of the Mississippi Arts Commission to the Mississippi Development Authority died in committee this week after it generated much controversy. Arts advocates celebrated as they made their opposition to the bill well-known. However, JJ thought it might be a good idea to post a spreadsheet below that contains a list of all the MAC grants, the recipients, and their purpose. Enjoy.
Kingfish note: Truth be told, I did not have an opinion on this bill because I was just not well-informed on either side. However, this website is a supporter of the arts. The arts are an important part of education and society. However, the poorer the state or society, the less resources there are that can be devoted to the arts and Mississippi is no exception. The debate reflected that state as there are some who want no funding for the arts at all while others want to open up the spigots. There is a happy medium between those two positions as there are on most issues.
This post is an experiment of sorts as I am embedding the spreadsheet from Onedrive. You should be able to expand the spreadsheet to fullscreen and also review the grants awarded by county as well. I've also posted the jpg versions of the spreadsheet below in case that does not work. Just click on each image to enlarge.
22 comments:
We have no business sending tax dollars to these projects, no matter how worthwhile. They should end the arts commission completely. It's just involuntary redistribution of wealth from the taxpayers to the intelligentsia.
The obvious first question, the title says "redacted" so are there grants that are redacted? I'd suspect they redacted names, contact information, etc for each grant and that is what it references. But still worth asking the question.
I redacted phone numbers. It was my way of telling this version apart from the original file I have. Housekeeping.
"Intelligentsia" go read a book 9:49AM
Onedrive worked nicely. Thanks for sharing this information...
KF was not the only one that was not well informed on this bill. Neither was the author. She filed it at the behest of the leadership without a clue whether it was good public policy or not.
I've read lots of comments that seem to view the arts solely through the lens the political spectrum with "the usual suspects" and stereotypes being offered. I'm curious as to whether there is a list of grants requested that received no award. I'd like to know that before I even thought about making a judgment (whether hoisting petards or demonstrating bias) as to the political nature of the MAC.
You know what? Libraries are a forced redistribution of wealth.
Close them. All of them.
If you closed the libraries where would the homeless live?
The 70 comments from the previous thread on this should've been re-posted here also. Don't think anyone's going to change their opinion. Rinse, repeat.
Josh Harkins is turning out to be not the sharpest tool in the shed. Far from it.
So, Malcolm White approves a grant to Malcolm Sheppard to produce an event that occurs every Monday Night in Malcolm White's restaurant? Yeah, nothing left to cut.
Ha, the snowflakes are celebrating sipping champagne with their pinky sticking out.
The only down side, and I personally do not think this is one, is that only one person loses a job and it was Malcolm. He has been riding on the state dime all over the world writing his book. Get that damn Libtard off the state teet!
Agreed, KF. If the private sector can't support it, there must not be that much of a demand for them. I would love for my local library to subsist solely on voluntary contributions. I bet it would look a lot different.
Taxpayers go to these festivals. School children go to many of these events and talented young people get scholarships apparently from reading the list. God forbid a child that loves to dance or paint or loves music should get to go to a ballet or art exhibit for free or hear a concert or get a scholarship or grant or a musical instrument to play in his school band if his parents can't afford these things. They might be inspired.
ISIS agrees that the arts and are frivolous and dangerous , however. That's why destroying art and libraries and schools and killing " the intelligentsia" are a priority for them . They want laborers who will do their bidding.
We can't have anyone hold up a mirror to us or question our behavior.
You must control how people see themselves and the world and you can't let your children grow up to be smarter than you are as then you can't dictate their future. They might become humans who see your failings. You fear they won't love you and respect you anymore if they learn you were wrong about anything.
6:18 is either going through the change or out of medication. Bringing up the fact that ISIS destroys art and schools is beyond bizarre and way across the bounds of hyperbole.
This never was about closing down anything or opposing school children's exposure to violin concerts.
If you take a good, honest look at that list you will know those in control use this thing as nothing but a personal cookie-jar of gratuities and schmooze gifts with absolutely no accountability to anybody. They gather in a circle and nominate recipients. Then they giggle and they vote and they write grant checks and they giggle some more and raise their pinky fingers and toast each other.
The only thing standing between me and ISIS is shoveling money to wealthy developers or ivy league graduates with full time jobs to indulge their hobbies? I'll take my chances with ISIS.
And as for the parenting advice, thank you. You know what would make it easier for me to raise my children to be smarter than me? Immoral know it alls like you not taking money from my paycheck before I have a chance to spend it on my children and giving it to the wealthy and connected to spend on their hobbies.
Very well said, 6:18.
I think people are missing the point that the arts are drivers for the economy and attract tourism and stimulate business activities. Children are having success in school because of the arts by learning how to think critically and communicate in ways they wouldn't normally be able to, especially for rural and inner-city kids. Mississippi also has a cultural legacy that must be preserved.
I read that it costs less than $1.00 per capita to support the arts. Is that really too much to ask to help out your community?
To celebrate the defeat of this bill, I'm going to go down to Farrish Street
tonight and have a few drinks before dinner. After dinner, I think I'll stick my
head in either wet willies bar or BB Kings blues club and stay all night and spend
a whole lotta money in downtown Jackson. I will toast the taxpayers of Jackson
Mississippi for their generous support of the renovation of Farrish Street as I rock
along with all the other people in the crowd. Someone please save me a seat at the bar.
2:50; If you spend enough moo-lah at Hal and Mals you could get a grant.
I notice my friend Jimmy 'Duck' Holmes got two of these grants. I frequently visit Duck at Blue Front in Bentonia, take him fish and deer meat and he plays a bit for me. He's a prince of a fellow and a great blues musician and singer.
That aside, how many garden parties did he play for at homes of these people who control the grant purse-strings?
More people go to the MS Symphony in a season than swim meets in the metro area in a year....
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