Who cares if Denver is facing a $120 budget shortfall.  They must have fine art — to the tune of $4 million.  Cut law enforcement.  Cut city services.  But hands off their art!   My colleague at the Independence Institute Todd Shepherd just exposed the real problem with how Denver funds art projects:

Eric Brown, spokesman for Mayor Hickenlooper, says the money slated for art projects can’t be re-routed or postponed because that funding is not discretionary and is not part of the general fund. “The public art program is set by ordinance from capital projects funding and would require City Council action to change the funding,” Brown said in an email. “Even if the art funding was eliminated, that money would remain in the construction budget for capital improvements and would not go back into the general fund.”

Greeley has the same type of requirement.  One percent of taxpayer-funded, capitol construction projects must go toward art — even at the expense of vital services.

This entry was posted on Thursday, August 13th, 2009 at 5:39 am and is filed under Greeley, economy, taxes. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.