"And the beat goes on..................."
Here (IMHO) is a very brief and limited overview of what our strategy to save funding for the NEA needs to include.
We need a massive communication with Congress. While it is important for every arts organization, whether or not they get funding, or whether or not they value the NEA, to communicate with their local Congress representative and Senator, as an organization - registering their strong support for continued funding for the Endowment - that's not enough. Every person who is employed by an arts organization, every volunteer and supporter, and every artist (even if they are not supported by the NEA) has to likewise communicate. And by massive, I mean hundreds of thousands of messages. If there are a million or more people employed in the nonprofit arts, plus many times that number of artists, teachers etc., surely we can muster ten or twenty percent to take 30 minutes and communicate with their elected officials. This kind of effort is a numbers game. And this time around we are competing for support against a wide range of programs and funding that are all crucially important to the country's future.
If we really want to maximize our effectiveness and increase our chances of saving the NEA, we need to use social media and any other tool we have to enlist the support of neighbors, friends, co-workers, local media and businesses to join the effort in communicating with Congress. Every single person in the arts ought to enlist the support of one person outside the arts to make that phone call or write that letter or email.
An aside to those who believe the Endowment isn't that relevant or important - either to them as an artist, administrator, or citizen - please consider that elimination of the NEA would quite possibly have a domino affect on state and local arts support and would, in countless ways, harm and injure an already fragile arts ecosystem. Maybe this isn't your direct fight, but you are an indirect participant, and if you care about the arts, you will be affected. And to arts organizations who haven't in the past rallied to this kind of lobbying effort, the question is why? Are you not part of the ecosystem?
The message each individual sends to their elected representatives can include whatever arguments in the Endowment's favor that you choose - stories of how the arts make a difference in people's lives, how the NEA is important to communities, in education, or the economic arguments in favor of jobs and vibrant local economies, or the basic intrinsic value of art and culture. It doesn't really matter. While we can continue making the case for the value of the arts on whatever level, at this point in time we may not have time to amass a tectonic change in public will.
What does matter is this:
First, individual messages must state at the beginning of the communication that you are a registered voter in the district and that support for the NEA is a critical issue for you as a voter.
The communication ought not to be overlong, because if it is, there is a very good chance no one is going to read it - and that is another reason to state at the outset that you are a registered voter in the district (state) and that you want support for the continued funding of the NEA.
Second, personal visits are best, then phone calls, written letters (fax them to save time), then emails. Using a robot software program to send a template email isn't the best approach, though better than nothing. Petitions are basically useless. Please don't think that's all you need to do, because its largely a waste of time.
Third, we need to be strategic in marshaling mass communication to Congress. So, while it is important to communicate with every single member of Congress - House and Senate - there are target priorities:
1) Current and past supporters. Communications should steel the resolve of our supporters to have our back. Don't take them for granted. Just because you live in a district or state and your elected official is pro arts, you still need to let them know you need that support to continue at this crucial juncture. Thank them in advance.
2) Members of the Committees which have jurisdiction over the Endowment's budget. These are the people with control over the budget line item at the outset. Those who are registered to vote in these districts have a special obligation and opportunity to impact the decision making process.
3) Representatives and Senators who are or may be opposed to funding for the Endowment who are in fact likely to be in tight races for re-election in 2018. The greater their perceived vulnerability, the more open they are to strong voter sentiments. That's just a political reality. Click here for some info on early handicapping of Senate and House 2018 races.
Fourth, we need to challenge and respond to attacks on continued NEA funding that are covered in the media with facts and solid arguments as to why those attacks miss the mark. Thus, we can ill afford to let Opinion Pieces like the flawed logic of George Will's Washington Post personal view that the Endowment should be defunded. or Budget Director, former conservative Congressman Mick Mulvaney's, absurd change that 'we can't ask coal miner taxpayers from West Virginia to use their tax dollars to pay for things like the NEA'.
First of all Mr. Mulvaney, we're not talking about tax dollars, we're talking about 46 cents per citizen. And we most certainly can ask West Virginians and all U.S. citizens to pay for things that make America stronger, more prosperous, improve education and job preparedness for the future, nurture creativity and add value to local communities, including in West Virginia, with programs directly or indirectly funded and supported by the NEA. And there are West Virginia coal miner families who do benefit from the vibrancy of a strong arts and culture ecology. Just because they voted for Trump it doesn't necessarily follow they all oppose arts funding.
We need to counter these kinds of weak arguments against the NEA with facts and counter arguments. Particularly in the media.
Finally, we need to follow up all our communications. Lobbying is only as effective as your willingness to hold officials feet to the fire as it were. A personal visit, a phone call, a letter or an email are great, but a follow up phone call, letter or email is a thousand fold more effective.
Based on past support for the Endowment, I believe the odds are in our favor to keep the agency alive and with not too substantial of cuts - BUT - we live in very different times than we've ever faced - and nothing is certain today. We ought to mass the biggest effort in our history - for doing so not only enhances our chances to preserve federal funding and support of the arts, but it will be a foundation of which we can build the kind of advocacy and lobbying apparatus we should have cerated decades ago. And it will give us the opportunity to make a better case for the public value of the arts.
Please help. It's worth a 30 minute to hour investment of your time to do this right.
Americans for the Arts (click here), and the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies (click here) are but two national organizations that provide links, news, updates, and tools to help you advocate and lobby effectively. Start with them.
Have a good week.
Don't Quit.
Barry
