Different areas have different ideas of what constitutes essential services. Before you have too much sympathy for Seattle, peruse their website: Priority Recommendations We have identified five priority recommendations for the City. They are followed by 25 additional recommendations (not in priority order) for how the City should contribute to Seattles arts environment over the next 25 years. Increase funding for individual artists and arts organizations of all sizes. City funding for the arts is essential if we are to ensure a healthy and vibrant community. The Citys mission should be to provide a continuous funding base for artists and arts organizations across the spectrum. This will ensure that a wide variety of artistic opportunities exist for residents to enjoy, and that a steady flow of artists and arts organizations are able to share their work. Stable funding will also help ensure that people of all ages, classes and ethnic backgrounds have access to the arts. Establish a $200 Million Public Endowment for the Arts. This would require raising about $15.5 million per year for 10 years with the expectation that it would be invested conservatively, as required by State law, at about 5.5% interest. A concurrent regional effort as well as additional funding sources (outlined in the "City as Funder" section, below), would help strengthen the endowment. A foundation board of private citizens representing the full spectrum of the arts in Seattle would oversee this endowment. Establish a City policy to annually secure 1% of the General Fund to support the Seattle Arts Commission. This will cover administration costs and grants-funding, assuming the General Fund is at $600 million when the policy is enacted. This recommendation should be phased in with the goal of reaching 1% from the General Fund by Fiscal Year 2001. Establish the Seattle Arts Commission as the City Arts Department.

http://www.pan.ci.seattle.wa.us/mayor/arts1.htm

ARTS TASK FORCE RECOMMENDATION MAYOR'S RESPONSE 1. Increase funding for individual artists and arts organizations of all sizes. City funding for the arts is essential if we are to ensure a healthy and vibrant community. The City's mission should be to provide a continuous funding base for artists and arts organizations across the spectrum. This will ensure that a wide variety of artistic opportunities exist for residents to enjoy, and that a steady flow of artists and arts organizations are able to share their work. Stable funding will also help ensure that people of all ages, classes and ethnic backgrounds have access to the arts. Action: The Mayor proposes increasing the Percent for Art program from 1.0% to 1.5% and expanding the program to include projects outside the City limits, which will nearly double the dollars going to the arts. Other longer-term strategies will also be studied.

Timeline: 2001-2002 budget

http://www.ci.seattle.wa.us/mayor/seattlearts.htm

-- Mark Stilson (mark842@hotmail.com), November 04, 1999

Answers

But...but...but I thought that they were cutting essential service jobs because they didn't have AAAAANNNYYYYTHINGGG they could POSSIBLYE cut or reduce.

-- Paul Oss (jnaut@earthlink.net), November 04, 1999.

In the REVISED POST 695 BUDGET Seattle really has it's priorities straight. They intend to save $300 thousand by "seeking additional private funding for Skateboard Park" I AM NOT making this up. Here's the URL: http://www.cityofseattle.net/budget/I695/I695bdgt.htm

-- Mark Stilson (mark842@hotmail.com), November 04, 1999.

Also from the same web site:

No reductions to patrol staffing or core investigative functions are being proposed.

Looks like Schell wants to keep his cushy job in shitty hall.

-- Joe Hylkema (josephhy@wsu.edu), November 04, 1999.

Some of Seattles budget plans for the next 6 year capital improvement cycle. (http://www.cityofseattle.net/budget/00pcip/sacproj.htm)

1. Find a home for a mural that Ballard High School REJECTED because of its subject matter, and relocate other art within Seattle. Price - $248,000. 2. Repair sculptures that have been damaged. Price - $92,000. 3. Maintain PORTABLE artwork. Price - $120,000. 4. Scheduled maintenance (including annual tune-ups for hammering mans arm. Price - $415,000.

(http://www.cityofseattle.net/budget/00pcip/esdproj.htm) 1. Executive Services Department Safety Standards The project provides for a survey of City-owned buildings to detect the presence of asbestos and lead; hiring a consultant to determine the best way to protect workers from falling when they are on the roofs of City buildings; and funding for recommended protection measures. $971,000 2. The privately funded Experience Music Project, scheduled to open in May 2000 at Seattle Center, will be a 130,000 square foot world- class museum and entertainment attraction, featuring state-of-the-art electronic and interactive exhibits focusing on musical expression and the creative genius of Jimi Hendrix and other Northwest musicians. The City is contributing $500,000 for utility infrastructure improvements related to this project. 3. Skateboard Park. This project will create a permanent, all concrete Skateboard Park at Seattle Center. The park will be open from dawn to dusk year-round and will be the only skateboard park within Seattle's city limits. The footprint of the park will be approximately 85 feet by 85 feet and will be located adjacent to the 5th Avenue Parking Lot at 5th and Harrison. The Skateboard Park is scheduled to open in the spring of 2000 and will serve up to 500 users a day. Funding for the park is coming from the City of Seattle, King County, and from a $25,000 contribution from Pearl Jam. $150,000 4. 3rd Avenue NW (PFP '00) Construct a 6 foot wide walkway, at $100 per foot. $123,000 Bike Spot Safety Program. This ongoing program was designed to identify and respond to citizen and staff recommendations for small- scale projects that facilitate bicycle travel in the city and reduce bicycle hazards. The program, which is coordinated with the Bicycle Advisory Board, provides improvements such as special signs, ramps, drain grates, paved shoulders, railroad crossing improvements, bike parking racks, and bicycle lane striping. $5,062,000 5. Millenium legacy lighting. to celebrate Seattle's unique northern light, the Seattle Millennium Project will artistically and efficiently light several of Seattle's bridges. The city's nightscape will be enhanced by the beauty of these lighted structures. Community representatives, stakeholders and designers chose six sites for design development. Two sites are being treated as priority projects: George Washington Memorial/Aurora and Jose Rizal/12th Avenue Bridges. Funding is provided by private donations. $2 Million

-- Mark Stilson (mark842@hotmail.com), November 04, 1999.

Sure glad I grew up east of the Cascades; I do believe common sense still lives on there. After reading all the bureaubabble, (above), I am convinced that the government mindset is still strong and propering in the "Peoples Socialist Republic of Seattle". This oblivious mindset is similar to that of Emperor Nero; While Rome burned, he fiddled.

Keep the Vigilance,

Rich Henderson

-- Richard Henderson (grassroots3@earthlink.net), November 05, 1999.