“Why should our governments pay for free entertainment and activism?” asked Lee Harding, Saskatchewan Director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation. “Organizers should get money from private supporters and festival attendees instead of co-opting politicians who are all-too-eager to look green.”
...
“No government or crown should fund political activism,” says Harding. “If this event really attracted 50,000 people, then $6.25 is all each of them would need to pay to cover all expenses. Citizens should pay for whatever concerts, festivals, or activism they want, not governments.”
(CTF Press Release, December 17, 2007)
...
“No government or crown should fund political activism,” says Harding. “If this event really attracted 50,000 people, then $6.25 is all each of them would need to pay to cover all expenses. Citizens should pay for whatever concerts, festivals, or activism they want, not governments.”
(CTF Press Release, December 17, 2007)
While Harding raises an interesting issue in the top paragraph, he certainly raises an ominous one in the bottom. Does he really mean governments should not fund public festivals like the Mid-Winter Blues Festival, the Saskatoon Fringe Festival, the Regina Fringe Festival, KonaFest, Moose Jaw's Prairie Arts Festival, the Yorkton Short Film and Video Festival, Queer City Cinema (that's probably a gimme, given his background), Swift Current's Windscape Kite Festival, Ness Creek, the Boreal Mixed Media Jam, the Connect Festival (probably another gimme), the SaskTel Jazz Festival, Mosaic, the Regina Folk Festival, Moose Jaw's Motif Cultural Festival, Saskatoon's FolkFest, or the John Arcand Fiddle Festival?
This is far from an exhaustive list, but you get the idea. All of these events receive some sort of funding through municipal, provincial, or federal governments. Festivals provide people with entertainment, artists with publicity, communities with tourism, and cultures with exposure. It's one thing to say government shouldn't support political activism -- although the argument that WAM is political activism is tenuous -- but it's something else entirely to say they should pull out of funding festivals altogether. But given that these festivals are all filled with drug users, fornicators, and godless homos, I'm not surprised he has that opinion.
This is Lee's second news release attacking Saskatchewan's arts industry -- you may remember his tirade against the film industry two weeks ago. By the way, Lee, I'm still waiting for a piece on the new salaries for the Sask Party's legislative staff. Why don't you get your non-partisan ass on that?
2 comments:
Apparently you did not read this about the wheat sheaf: http://www.taxpayerblog.com/2007/12/saskatchewan-government-wants-new-logo.html
Nor this about civil service increases: http://www.taxpayerblog.com/2007/12/whopping-raises-for-saskatchewan-civil.html
As for WAM, the event is VERY politica. Moreover, organizers themselves don't think people will come to it if the event isn't free, which begs the question, why should government sponsor a cause-driven event if activists themselves won't pay for it? John Gormley rightfully wondered the same thing: http://www.taxpayerblog.com/2007/12/wam-fg.html.
Happy reading.
Barring the CTF, Gormley is one of the most agenda-driven people in the province. He fancies himself as Saskatchewan's Rush Limbaugh -- or he fancies Rush as the American John Gormley. Either way, he's hardly the most unbiased source you could cite.
Ellen was very clear about WAM not attracting the number of people they've planned for unless it was free. In fact she was so clear, you've updated your post on the CTF blog to reflect this. And as for your bald assertion that WAM is political -- I'm sorry, but I don't see how a grassroots event on environmental sustainability and awareness has political ties. But even if you do want to argue that it is, there are surely enough people on both sides of the political fence to convince you that it's non-partisan -- just like the CTF, but for real!
I did actually read about the civil service increase on your blog; apparently you don't remember responding so glibly to the comment I left. So I'll ask you again, Lee: when are you going to issue a press release or write a column about it instead of letting it get buried on your blog by bullshit about Ontario? WAM gets a press release, but gross increases in leg staff salaries -- so much so that the new Chiefs of Staff are making more than government ministers -- barely rates a mention? C'mon.
I raised the question in my post about where the CTF stands on public festival funding, and Ellen asked you about it today on Gormley. Neither one of us has received an answer. So I'll ask you again, Lee: does the CTF stand by the assertion in its press release that governments should discontinue all public festival funding?
Post a Comment