Rally against art tax tomorrow at noon

This just in from the art trenches….from an email from Margie Salvante of the Theatre Alliance:

URGENT NEWS: Rally tomorrow

Noon, Broad Street between Market and Walnut

Please read this carefully and pass it on!

Many supporters of arts and culture had been appealing to the Governor and Legislature to stop this tax. Our efforts are beginning to get some traction – BUT expressions of anger at the Governor or individual legislators could reverse our progress. The press has done a good job of letting the legislature know how we feel. Now they need to know how this tax will effect you – so please keep your message focused on the issue – not the individuals:

Word to the wise: The rally is planned for noon tomorrow (9/25) as a gathering on Broad Street (between Market and Walnut) – As far as we can tell, nobody has a permit for this, so everybody is safer with a MARCH DOWN THE AVENUE OF THE ARTS rather than a traffic blocking stationary crowd. This helps our message because IT’S ABOUT OUR AVENUE – IT’S ABOUT OUR ART – not about our anger at the individuals.

Suggested Slogans:

· Arts=Jobs: We’ve already had our share of layoffs. Don’t tax us out of more jobs.

· This Tax Hurts Families: kids are 1/5 of our audience – families will be paying this tax.

· This Tax Hurts Schools: Lower tickets sales = less money to spend on arts programming that we provide in public schools.

· Taxing smokeless tobacco will help; taxing the arts will hurt!

We at artblog are appalled with this new scheme to let the arts carry the state of Pennsylvania on its back.  Shame.  Everyone should share the pain and the gain, including sporting events and movies.  Better yet, increase the cigarette tax to $1 a pack.  We’d all benefit from that.