February 6, 2009

The Honorable Tom Coburn
United States Senate
172 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510-3603 FAX: 202-224-6008

Senator Coburn:

I am writing to urge you please to reconsider your efforts to excise support for arts and cultural organizations through the NEA from the emergency stimulus package making its way through Congress.

As I write this letter there is a $560 check on my desk from a local bar and restaurant, Druid’s, that has been in its present location on 10th Avenue near West 51st Street for almost as long as the thirty-seven years our theatre company has been located in this once-desolate part of Hell’s Kitchen. The restaurant owner, Michael G. Younge, who signed the check to buy an ad in our show programs for the remainder of our season through June, is well-acquainted with the value of our work in the neighborhood: most nights per week, at least 20 patrons, including artists and technicians we hire and the audiences who enjoy their work, visit his restaurant, buy dinner and drinks, and otherwise support his business. Sometimes his entire sales, especially at night, are generated by our company. He sees his support for our theatre as good business sense, and he is especially eager in this economy to keep our customers flowing his way.

Our $650,000 annual payroll and $1,284,000 annual budget have a multiplier effect and, like so many other sectors of the economy, we are threatened by the colossal crash that engulfs the country now. The tourism, nightlife and real estate industries depend on our viability, and we, like them, represent a key sector of the US economy. If you want jobs and stimulus, the American theatre is ready to hire with dollars that resonate immediately and loudly, not just in New York but, thanks largely to the NEA, in every community, including yours. Theatre people made your state a world-famous symbol of American culture and values years ago through a made-in-New-York musical called Oklahoma! that continues to be a staple in playhouses – including many nonprofit theatre companies that receive NEA seed funds. Government has long partnered with industry to foster creativity and wealth creation. The impact of the small annual commitments to theatre and culture by the federal government is extraordinary and quantifiable. Just ask Michael at Druid’s.

Thank you for your strong commitment to clean government, and for legislation protecting whistleblowers who expose waste and fraud. I wish the SEC and rating agencies like S&P had learned from your efforts. It would have saved us all a lot of grief and lost revenue. Sincerely,

Paul A. Slee
Executive Director

Totally agree with you that the money should go primarily to smaller orgs, though I will be surprised if it actually works out that way. On the bright side, though, remember that 40% would be going to state arts councils which have a much better track record of supporting smaller organizations. And it’s worth remembering that larger organizations, while in theory better positioned to survive the storm, also have farther to fall; were, say, a major orchestra to have to fold, you would be losing a couple hundred jobs instead of maybe half a dozen at a smaller agency.

Interesting idea – that the NEA determines who gets an award based on economic and not artistic criteria.

Such a judgement would seem to be a bit out of their normal area of expertise…