The Allentown Symphony Association kicked off a $6 million fundraising campaign last week, and before soprano Cristina Nassif could belt out a few refrains from Bizet's "Carmen," the rich foo foos had already kicked in $3.1 million. One of their major objectives is to raise $2 million to promote music appreciation by kids. "$2 million of the fund would be used for programming and music education the association produces for children, such as student and family concerts at Symphony Hall and its Musicians in Schools events.”Too bad there's no enthusiasm for making sure they're fed. It's hard to appreciate Beethoven on an empty stomach. But you see, this "charity" has little to do with children. It exists so the area elite - many of them members of the Lehigh Valley Partnership - can don tuxedos and pretend their shit doesn't stink. Maybe it doesn't, and as long as they're paying for these improvements themselves, I say "Bravo! Encore!"
But rich people - especially members of the LV Partnership - have an annoying habit of ramming their preferences down our throats. Whether it's a bi-county health department or regional rail, these unelected aristocrats know what's best.
So, at the same time that they brag about raising $2 million to bore grade school kids with inferior classical performances at Allentown Symphony Hall, they are putting the bite on Lehigh County for MORE money for M.O.R.E., which provides public funding. LC Exec Don Cunningham cut it out of his 2011 budget, but Commissioner Bill Hansell has already proposed restoring it.
Artsy-fartsy nonprofits know how to pressure local governments. At Tuesday night's budget hearing, Commissioners will be compared to barbarians or worse ... tea party members. Over the past few days, they've already been deluged by form letters, demanding that funding be restored and increased for both the Allentown Art Museum and Symphony Hall.
One of these form letters has been leaked to me. It's on the letterhead of Allentown City Council member Julio Guridy, who took time out of his busy taxpayer-funded job at the bridge commission to demand public funding for the arts. After all, the recession's over.
What kills me about Julio's missive, other than the fact that it is a cut-and-paste job, is that he is telling Lehigh County government that it needs to fund two institutions in Allentown that do not receive any funding from Allentown.
What the hell was he thinking?
You think it might occur to him that he could prepare an ordinance to have his own Council give them the money. After all, it's not being used for cops.
Julio's letter is below.
Guridy on Sympony Hall
I would like LC to restore Green Future funds which we are paying for. This is the best time to make strategic land acquisitions that have high public value. While I understand the dire need to limit spending, I propose that money in this years budget be used to acquire land, not renovate exisiting facilities. These facilities will be there next year and the year after. Strategic land parcels will not.
ReplyDeleteBernie
ReplyDeleteHow did you get into this event?
Were you press or invited guest? They probably chose Guirdy because of the large Latino community now in the Lehigh Valley. It's nice to consider all cultures in such a fundraiser. However, thanks to you, we are informed of Guirdy's hypocrisy.
Anonymous said...
ReplyDeleteI would like LC to restore Green Future funds which we are paying for. This is the best time to make strategic land acquisitions that have high public value. While I understand the dire need to limit spending, I propose that money in this years budget be used to acquire land, not renovate exisiting facilities. These facilities will be there next year and the year after. Strategic land parcels will not.
6:10 AM
Bernie
Can you explain what the above has to do with the arts? Did we miss something?
Wait a Mozart Minute.
ReplyDeleteDo you mean Guirdy used city letterhead to send this solicitation? Please tell us it ain't so.
If these places are going to be funded publicly at all, the county level is more appropriate than the city.
ReplyDeleteResidents outside the city certainly benefit from these institutions as much as, if not more, than residents within the city.
No arts funding from any public source. Zip, nada, zilch.
ReplyDeleteIf the arts have value, they will sustain themselves. If not, let them go the way of the newspa... er, uh, horse and buggy.
If a government grant is done the county is most appropriate. Most attendees are not city residents. Many come from retirement villages by bus loads.
ReplyDeleteA population needs a variety of venues to be other than a boring bedroom community.
Corporations support the cultural groups to show the region has culture other than hip-hop clubs.
Unfortunately these cultural events aren't self supporting. Government money may not be the best source of financing, but if they go we only have the Croc Rock culture.
Cut and Paste I hope so. Amazing how totally out of touch these people are about what is going on in Allentown.
ReplyDeleteSo the County wants a tax increase and then people want to use this money to fund arts. Please!
If they can collect a couple of million in a few weeks, they can collect it all.
Soon they will gate sixth street south of Hamilton. This will be his honors private reserve.
I wonder how the new restaurant will look as a check cashing / income tax preparation / $69.00 annual auto insurance agency after it cycles through the pattern of hope and despair that has characterized much of downtown Allentown development over the past few years?
Can you say - Neon!
Well apparently the elitists still prefer denial to reality. One day it will catch up with them. As life ebbs away perhaps they will start to have some crucial introspection if they are lucky. But then most won't be. Too bad.
"Wait a Mozart Minute.
ReplyDeleteDo you mean Guirdy used city letterhead to send this solicitation? Please tell us it ain't so."
He had run out of his bridge commission stationery.
"How did you get into this event?
ReplyDeleteWere you press or invited guest?"
I was not invited, nor was I there. I linked to a MC news account about it.
"How did you get into this event?
ReplyDeleteWere you press or invited guest?"
I think the reader intended to pose that on my post re Comm'r Amendments to the budget.
Anon 745, You ask what does Arts funding have to do with Green Futures? Why should we be introducing new programs when we cannot fund ones that exist and voters approved via referendum and are paying for?
ReplyDeleteIt should be noted that some communities are actively pursing/negotiating open space initiatives and have been told they have County support. Often times, land acquistiions are once in a generation opportunities...unless of course a land developer owns the land. Reading the newspaper, it sounds like only those projects that have already been stamped will get funded.
If we can find money to add $2M for the Arts, we should be able to fund strategic land acquisitions we voted for.
Bernie O'Hare said...
ReplyDelete"Wait a Mozart Minute.
Do you mean Guirdy used city letterhead to send this solicitation? Please tell us it ain't so."
He had run out of his bridge commission stationery.
11:46 AM
Fear Not. The Julie Andrews of the Ethics sect will email each other to discuss if this was appropriate councilman conduct. Beta a Beethoven symphony, Guirdy is absolved of any wrongdoing. Seriously, think this is solicitation on city letterhead is illegal.
Anonymous said...
ReplyDeleteAnon 745, You ask what does Arts funding have to do with Green Futures? Why should we be introducing new programs when we cannot fund ones that exist and voters approved via referendum and are paying for?
Good Points.
Is there an ethics committee to review the ethics of the ethics committee?
ReplyDeleteThanks for bringing up another sore subject.The arts.Due to lack of local government funding and community support we already lost the theater outlet,Munopco music theater is hanging by a thread.Changing taste killed vaudville and opera so i guess its only a matter of time till 20 people show up for a classical concert at symphony hall.Fewer kids are exposed to music in school so forget garage bands ,local groups.Many people work hard to keep the arts alive but if it were not for the trexler foundation it would be worse.So whats the solution?And whats next.Sports.Middle school sports was cut in allentown many years ago,a feeder for high school,result being high school football non competitive.Have no popular solution only sadness at the overall loss to the community.
ReplyDelete