An open letter to the Liberal government

I am writing to express my support for restoration of funding to the arts, as recommended by the Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services in its recently-published Report on the Budget 2010 Consultations.

I am referring specifically to recommendation number 26 in the report: "Make funding of the arts a high priority in the 2010/11 budget by returning to overall actual funding levels of 2008/09."

BC Arts Minister Kevin Krueger, defending the 90% cuts to the arts and culture sector in the last budget, said: "Is it right to borrow even more deeply than that to provide grants to the adult community of today that will have to be paid back by people who are now children and grandchildren?" But that is a misleading question. When studies show that every dollar spent in the arts sector returns $1.36 to the economy, grants aren't charity; they are an investment.

Every year, I attend the Vancouver International Writers & Readers Festival at Granville Island. In the lead-up to the weekend of events, I buy more books than I do for the rest of the year combined, and often books I wouldn't have otherwise purchased. During the weekend, I often eat out for two or even three meals a day, plus coffee. I buy fancy sausages and other gourmet treats from the market. I often buy a couple of other little items - yarn, gifts, etc. - from the various shops on Granville Island. If the festival didn't happen, I would probably spend that weekend cooking at home, reading library books, watching TV... I would have a much less interesting weekend, and I would also generate a lot less economic activity. If money is all that matters here, than cutting the arts budget makes no sense at all.

Vancouver is about to welcome the world to our beautiful city. They might be coming for the Olympics, but this is our chance to showcase everything we have to offer: natural beauty, some of the best restaurants in the world, multiculturalism, and arts and culture of all kinds. This is the worst time to devastate such an important part of what makes British Columbia great.

British Columbia, especially Vancouver, often seems to mistake high housing prices and real estate booms for wealth, but sustainable growth and real wealth means investing in people through education, health care, and arts grants.

Our Liberal provincial government has said that "This government's commitment to the arts is abundantly clear". Actions speak louder than words, and it seems that this government's opinion of arts funding is crystal-clear. I would like to see arts funding restored for the economic and cultural health of our province, and because I believe it's what the residents of BC want. If the Liberal government is not willing to support our artists, our storytellers, our performers... they may very well find that they are lacking support in the next election.

Premier Gordon Campbell
Fax: 250-387-0087

MLA: Kevin Krueger (Tourism, Arts, and Culture)
Fax: 250-953-4250

MLA: Rich Coleman (Gaming)
Fax: 250-356-7292

MLA: Jenny Kwan (NDP MLA for Vancouver-Mount Pleasant)
Fax: 604-775-0881

For more information about the BC government's choices and the effects of the cuts, see Stop BC Arts Cuts.