The Campaign to retain the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs’ TOT allocation was a success.
Over 5,000 letters were generated to City Council members from their stakeholders. Member organizations stepped up and mobilized existing networks that created a groundswell of advocacy that hasn’t been seen before. An additional 100 advocates attended yesterday’s city council meeting, in which 30 impassioned speakers voiced the value of arts and culture to the city and the communities they serve.
The motion was put into file. We have been told that means it is a polite way of saying it will quietly go away. For how long is a question we are still trying to get answered. This great news is tempered by the fact that we have a long road ahead of us and the City is faced with very difficult decisions.
The success of this campaign was powered by your membership dues and your active participation in this coordinated advocacy approach. The positive outcome affirms our belief that advocacy is is a collaboration. Although the battle is far from over, over this past week we saw firsthand just how strong, when united, our voice can be.
The online system your membership dues helped to build enabled Arts for LA to respond quickly and effectively to a crisis that virtually happened overnight. We’ve created an “anatomy of a campaign” story on our site to help inform you how we, along with our partners, responded to the crisis. Please contribute to the story and share it far and wide. Let’s inspire and build more advocates for the arts in Los Angeles. It’s time to roll up our sleeves and get ready to face the next challenges head-on!
The challenge for the City of Los Angeles is huge. Our victory is in mobilizing a groundswell of support to maintain a crucial revenue stream for the Department. We know that the Department, like every other department in the City of Los Angeles, is going to face mid-year cuts. Our goal is to ensure the cuts are proportional to other city departments and that Department leadership is empowered to make its recommendations on how to provide cost-saving solutions.
Below are a few updates on the status of the campaign. Check the Arts for LA site regularly for updates.
Onward!
Danielle Brazell
Executive Director
UPDATES:
The Los Angeles City Council chose not to vote on the motion to eliminate the Department of Cultural Affairs’ 1% TOT allocation.
The Department’s only source of dedicated funding is secure, for the moment. The 2009 grants made by the Department are still in question.
The CAO’s report and recommendations were put back into the Budget & Finance Committee. The Dept. of Cultural Affairs was instructed to identify an additional $500,000 in budget savings from the 2009 grants pool.
A motion was filed by Councilman Garcetti late yesterday regarding the 2010/11 grants. The motion rescinds the CAO’s recommendation to eliminate the 2010/11 grant program. These decisions are not final and are subject to change. Arts for LA will monitor the council file system. The mid-year cuts to the Department are still on the table and the City’s financial forcast is dire.
