Republican Senator Tom Coburn of Oklahoma pasted an amendment into the stimulus package banning it from funding museums, arts centers, theaters, stadiums, parks, casinos or golf courses. James S. Russell says, 'starving the arts is suicidal.'
"There's hope that the bill will pass without this gratuitous kicking of the arts, yet you do wonder what goes on in minds that lump together an institution like a scrappy regional theater and a municipal golf course. The Senate last week voted for the amendment 73-24. Until a text of the final compromise bill is released, we won't know whether Coburn's ban remains.
From an economic standpoint, starving the arts is suicidal. Consider the case of the High Line, the park in the Meatpacking District. The City of New York invested $170 million in the project, which directly inspired as many as 50 major residential projects worth as much as $5 billion. And the park isn't even open yet."
FULL STORY: Arts Ban in Stimulus Bill Is Stupid Economics: James S. Russell
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Direct Payment, Rent Relief, Homelessness Funding in Expanded 'California Comeback Plan'
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A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
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Platform Pilsner: Vancouver Transit Agency Releases... a Beer?
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Toronto Weighs Cheaper Transit, Parking Hikes for Major Events
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Berlin to Consider Car-Free Zone Larger Than Manhattan
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Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
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