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CULTURE TAX: Frankly, My Dear Pennsylvania…WTF?!

Last week, The New York Times reported an enraging tidbit in the Arts section. Hold onto your knickers, all ye citizens of The Keystone State…

A provision in the newly-agreed-upon state budget calls for a 6 percent sales tax on CULTURE.

Yes, culture. It’s flippant enough to brandish this word in the lawmaking process with all of its imprecision and subjectivity, but state legislators are now attaching a tariff to it. It “would call for the creation of a special fund that would receive the lion’s share of tax revenue from tickets” purchased for admission to “performance spaces and museums.” Movies and sporting events would be exempt.

When I first heard about this, I assumed it was a joke, and laughed inwardly at the phrase “Culture Tax.” After reading further, there is nothing entertaining about this piece of legislation, except for all of the entertainment that likely will NOT be experienced by Pennsylvanians due to outrage at this measure.

While desperate times sometimes call for desperate measures, I absolutely cannot decipher where common sense and sound logic play a role in this decision. Arts organizations, museums, and theaters have already been hit so hard by the current economic crisis in America. (See the sad news about The Civil War Museum in Philly). Why kick the underdogs when they are already down? I’m disgusted. Hopefully, if you’re reading this, you are, too.

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

- Send a letter to the office of the governor:

Governor Edward G. Rendell’s Office
225 Main Capitol Building
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17120

- Send emails (LINK HERE)

- Detail your knowledge of the situation and your disappointment/anger/sadness/concern to hear this news. Let the voice of the citizens be heard! If everyone who cared about the arts in Pennsylvania sent one letter or one e-mail, we could make a difference.

Written by robin on 10/01/2009 in Activism | Blog | Causes | History | News | Philadelphia | Philosophy | Politics | Theory/Criticism

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• percyb

  UN. EFFING. BELIEVABLE. Especially that movies and sporting events–insanely overpriced anyway–are exempt.

  Wouldn't want to piss off the millionaire Hollywood producers and billionaire sport-team owners! No, no. Instead, let's gouge already-struggling performance spaces and museums. Who needs art? Infuriating….

• http://www.moviesdownloadsite.net movies download site

  I like the decision as to what myself or my children see to be put in my hands, not the hands of RCA or any other company.

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