About a month ago, I wrote a piece outlining the dire state of arts education funding in Portland’s public schools. In the piece, I noted that the Creative Advocacy Network (CAN) was working with city hall on a ballot measure that would create a permanent source of funding for arts education, in light of troubling statistics suggesting that Oregon schools are well below national averages in offering access to public arts education.
CAN just came out with the details of that ballot measure: They’re proposing “a $35 capped income tax for every income-earning adult residing in Portland”—with an exception for individuals living at or below the poverty level, says CAN’s Jessica Jarratt Miller.
The tax would generate an estimated $12 million, of which 52 percent would go toward restoring arts and music teachers to elementary schools, and the rest to programs like the Regional Arts and Culture Commission, as well as to provide arts-access grants to schools and nonprofits. (There’s also a capped 3 percent for administrative costs.)
CAN is still finalizing details of the funding package, says Jarratt Miller, and has yet to set a definite date for referral to November’s ballot.
Does it make me right-wing that I’m not so sure I’d support this? Implementing a city-wide tax with income restrictions seems to open a number of cans of worms.
52% for schools strikes me as someone searching for the bare minimum to credibly claim it’s “for the kids.”
It would be nice if it was progressive.
Here is the fine print –
52% hire teachers – probably could hire 50-80 teachers for about 85 schools
3% administrative costs
45% split between hiring individual artists to work in schools and the Symphony, Ballet, Art museum, Portland Center Stage etc. for school kids to visit.
Who gets what in the last pie will be interesting. If each of the majors gets a million and every community theater group, musical group, and dance group gets money, the individual artists will be left out.
Actually more like 130 schools.
Taxes must be equally applied to be legal.
Let’s see – rising water, sewage, and garbage costs this year. The Library will be asking for more money, and the schools are crafting another attempt at a tax hike too.
Wages have been mostly stagnant, in real dollars, and employment remains sluggish at best.
Oh sure, I’ll support it.