Kruger is a complete idiot. Recently he was interviewed on radio and all his responses were filled with extreme arrogance and contempt. Charlie Smith's questions were not out of line. 

There's cutting the arts for the sake of saving money, then there's killing the arts. We've all been thrown out into the cold, artists and patrons alike. Kruger and Campbell should be ashamed of themselves in not having to vision to see the value of art in this Province. I will be joining the thousands of other artists who will be going grey during the Olympics. 

When the economy changes we need to become more innovative, this is a tough time for everyone. We have to stop depending on the Government to do everything for us.
We, in the arts community, are known for our creativity and resourcefulness. It's time we started applying those qualities to our own needs and stopped blaming our democratically elected government, who are seeking to serve our Province and are working with what they have.
Charlie Smith is clearly bias and was not seeking an impartial interview. The shame lies with those in the media who seek to create false and jaded hype instead of bring people together in this tumultuous time.
Thank you for your best efforts even in very difficult days Minister Krueger. Not everyone in the Arts community is so ignorant.  

You say he ran off Charlie. Art you sure he didn't scamper or slither.
I'm patiently waiting for that other BC Liberal symbol of cultural sophistication, Rich Coleman, to take the helm of this ministry.
Maybe they could share it. The Krueger & Coleman Revue. Ambassadors of NeoCon Culture in BC.

These two look like they would really enjoy making artists starve. I can picture them in artists homes and studios eating all the food.
SMBs 

Elizabeth Frank: did you actually read the interview? Mr. Krueger refused to provide an adequate answer about how public support would be provided through the BC Arts Council for 2010-11 and beyond. What he did say was that the 2008-09 budget was high compared to what BC has done in the past, with the implication that nobody should complain because the BCAC had a good budget right before the election. Asked to respond to the actual budget projections on paper, the projections that his government made, and that he should, as Minister, be prepared to promote and defend substantively, he was unable to. He then had a kind of tantrum and stalked away. If this is his "best effort", perhaps he should find another line of work.

These cuts are already causing devastation. In Revelstoke, BC, all of their cultural institutions are likely to close -- and it's not because they are lazy, or "false and jaded" there. It is because this government chooses not to spend one twentieth of one percent of the provincial budget to support communities' access to culture.

One more thing: please don't presume to speak on behalf of "the arts community" in the future. That shows true ignorance on your part. 

I think it would be useful if you looked into those figures, Charlie. I'm not a Libs supporter, far from it, but this post is biased towards backing up an eye-catching headline rather than attempting to educate the masses. How about digging a little deeper and giving us some data, please? 

Under his watch, Minister for Tourism, Culture and the Arts, Kevin Kruger has overseen the dismantling of Tourism BC and a 93% cut to Arts and Culture funding. Soon he will have to refer to himself as the Minister of Nothing. Now, that would be a Ministry for which he is well suited. 

Sleepswithangels demonstrates his ignorance by failing to even quote the article directly above his inert comment.
Mr.Krueger "halted" an arrogant reporter seeking his own agenda and "walked down the hall".
Perhaps an ounce of Honorable Krueger's dignity would help you to keep from resorting to insults and unprofitable slander, but, unfortunately, it's unlikely you will ever acquire it.
 

Times of recession, no money, and arts are a luxury. What exactly is everyone so upset and surprised about? I'm rather surprised to see the govt do something that makes sense, actually. Art institutions are closing in revelstoke, artists and patrons are "thrown out in the cold". Really? Is this REALLY the most important thing to worry about right now? All this sounds like a whole lot of teenagers who are upset about their allowance, but don't really care much that dad got fired and mom has to work nights to put food on the table now. Of course Krueger didn't want to listen to the same question again and again, it was a stupid question to begin with! No you can't have your allowance this month kids, maybe you should make a lemonade stand and earn some money. 

Melodious One, the point that seems to keep being missed, and has been missed by you, is that investment in the arts is a net generator of tax revenue and an engine of economic recovery. Aside from (valid) assertions that the arts are an intrinsic part of a healthy society, ARTS FUNDING MAKES SENSE FROM AN ECONOMIC STANDPOINT. And despite your snide name-calling, Mr. Smith's questions were apt, to the point, and remain unanswered by Minister Krueger. 

I think I understand where you're coming from Susan. Since Kruegers' actions are indefensible it makes sense to attack to messenger.
Both the tourism and culture industries are huge revenue generators but since the Campbell government has huge debts to pay to their Republican Party benefactors, they must focus on selling off profitable public entities and gut the sectors which their insider buddies have no monopoly over.
Yes, Susan, your job is really an untenable one. How much does a BC Liberal fart catcher make these days? Is it enough to pay for 24/7 odor eradication?
SMBs 

"ARTS FUNDING MAKES SENSE FROM AN ECONOMIC STANDPOINT"

I really, really would like to see how that set of smoke and mirrors works. If our arts programs make so much money, why do they require funding? Don't get me wrong, I can appreciate arts and heritage work just as much as anyone, but government grants to sponsor projects, and schools, and benefits, how does any of this generate money? Show me an economy that's weathered the storm better than the rest of us because of their healthy arts community. The world needs prudent spending right now in areas that will stimulate the big players in the economic market. You may not like it but those players (In BC anyway) are Oil and gas development, Tourism, and some of our other core industries like forestry and mining. People need jobs, and those jobs need to make the province money, or it's just a social program. Spending money on trades, engineering, marketing, and business buys the meat and potatoes. Arts is like the bacon bits; tasty, but not all that nourishing.

I didn't call anyone names, I said it sounds like whining teenagers, and it does. Again I say, sorry kids, but we are now too poor to give you lots of money to find yourself and inspire people. Time to use your creativity to generate your own wealth, and be creative in your spare time, like everybody else. 

The government has yet to refute its own study that the arts generate $1.38 in direct tax revenue for every dollar spent. 38% is quite the return on investment. They did remove it from their website...

http://www.straight.com/article-258563/bc-government-report-socioeconomi...

The arts community is "everybody else". We work hard to contribute to society. Very hard. If the government cut 80-90% from any of the industries you mention there would be outcry.

 

Yes, your'e right, there would be outcry... but I don't think it really matters what funding you cut, someone is going to cry about it - that's not the point, it's about what makes sense, not what you want personally.

How is the arts community "Everybody else"? Everybody else in the syntax I used it refers specifically to those of us who do NOT rely on government funding to explore modes of self expression and emotional resonance. I speak of the rest of us who have day jobs that pay the taxes directly to fund the arts community that somehow requires the support, despite it's profitable nature. Those of us that use our spare time, and spare money we earned to be creative and artistic when we feel the need.

I've seen reference to that study now several times, and to your comment, I say - the government does not need to refute it's own study. The study was done under 2006's economic conditions, before global panic. People are just not spending money on indulgences like arts these days, making this study out of date, and hardly applicable as any kind of argument. This of course also depends on one believing the original findings of said study, which I find very difficult. If there is really that much money to be made, maybe the system should be restructured, so that the tax dollars coming in, stamped with "because of arts funding" should just be returned directly to the arts community, hmm? 

Elizabeth Frank & Melodious One, I totally Agree

Keith Higgins - Before you hack down Elizabeth, did YOU read the article?

Krueger DID answer the question Please have a look at this "You saw that this year, money was flowed to the B.C. Arts Council from the gaming portfolio. We will not stop funding the B.C. Arts Council, but we’re in very, very tough financial times."

Charlie Smith then decided to totally dismiss anything related to an answer.

Keith, The question was answered but I'm sorry if it wasn't adequate enough for you to comprehend so Here it is again with facts. The Ministry received a lump sum of
Over $10 million from the gaming portfolio to fund the arts council. Theres more.

Keith Higgins & Dark Horse, If you really do follow the arts, you would have read that the numbers aren't as bad as it states. Here's a quote from an article by the "Vancouver Sun" dated September 19th 2009, called, Arts funding is not a pretty picture (link at the bottom). Randy Shore wrote "Upon closer analysis, the numbers are not quite as bad as Cattrall & many others think. Total funding is down about 11 per cent"

Its not Down from $19 million to $3 million; its $19 million to about $17 million inc.
$10 million from the gaming & $7 million from prior fiscal surplus. 11% right now isn't bad seeing how well the economy has been in the last year.

How's your own budget doing? What is it going to look like going into 2011-2012?? can you see into the future of your bank account? NO you can’t, You have no idea other then if you keep your job, you should have X amount of dollars by then if you don’t spend a penny. This is the same with Government, they don't know what is in store for the economy 3 years out. they have estimates each year with forecasts & some educated conjecture, but nothing is set in stone. As Melodious One said "The world needs prudent spending right now in areas that will stimulate the big players in the economic market." I like the whole "Smoke & Mirrors" thing as well.

Elizabeth Frank also brought up another good point. In my own words it translates to "Why can't the most creative people in BC not find a way to fund themselves?”

Michael Fitzpatrick if investment in the arts is a net generator of tax revenue & an engine of economic recovery, then why can't they fund themselves? What am I missing? I’m really trying to understand this whole debacle from another point of view.

The arts is one of the major groups of people where they feel its their God Given Right to get money to support themselves. Isn't that like”¦ Welfare? If a business can't find a way to stay a float, then it goes belly up. Im sorry, but its the truth.

If arts groups need a few thousand dollars to survive the economy & found their application for grants this year was denied, heres something for you. its because you should be able to find that money on your own. Fundraise, beg, borrow, put in your own money as employee's of an arts organization. Look on Vancouver Island with Check 6 TV, they put in $500,000 dollars out of their own pocket & $2 million in private investors to make that channel stay operational. They made it on their own. No government backing.

You might not feel me on any of this but I'm a huge fan of the arts, I truly am. I run a studio where i'm home to many musicians from all around BC. I keep myself standing in the financial aspects. I too am a musician & working to finish up my 3rd album to release soon. I make my own living & cover my own bills. its not my God Given Right to have funding from government, Is it yours? Why?

Please stop the tantrum & please open your eyes to the bigger picture. its more then just you here in BC.

http://www.vancouversun.com/entertainment/Arts+funding+pretty+picture/20...
 

"there ain't no heaven...on this county road"

dj champion

ah dont have no purty mouth to make y'all think I got cultur or nothin but all ah gotta a gawd given raht for is to obay the guvmint an christ awmighty

a christ feerin consurvative
SMBs 

"Last year in one allocation of $150 million in 2008, we established the B.C. 150 Cultural Legacy Fund"

Are you kidding me?!? One hundred and fifty MILLION dollars?!? In one year? Is this actually true? Why have I never heard about this? And how do I get some of this money? 

All the so called grown ups who are whining about whining artists should go do some serious homework...it isn't hard to draw a line from point to point. The deficit in BC is directly related to the huge tax cuts that the so-called liberals gave to their buddies. Hear this and if you have a brain please see if it can be made to work: Carol Taylor one of the principal architect of the mess that BC is in, as Finance Minister, eliminated the capital gain tax on corporations in BC. That includes the tax that was on the Banks...The Banks did not like that tax and they got her to get rid of it...a few months later Ms. Taylor gets a plum job with the banks. The banks I will have you know are doing fantastically well, cleaning up in fact, better than they even expected :

The Royal Bank of Canada (RBC), which is the country’s top bank, reported a record net income of $1.56 billion for the third quarter ending July 31 ('99) - up 24 percent from the same period last year.
The bank’s revenues rose to $7.82 billion from $5.91 billion during the same period in 2008.

“Our record results this quarter reflect the strength of our franchise, and our ability to take advantage of opportunities and drive efficiencies,” said bank president and CEO Gordon M. Nixon.

Toronto Dominion Bank (TD Bank), which is the second largest bank in the country, also reported higher profit of $1.30 billion during the third quarter, 17 percent up from $1.11 billion during the same period last year. Its revenue also rose to $3.54 billion during the quarter, up from $3.14 billion during the same period last year.

TD Bank president and CEO Ed Clark said, “While we expected TD’s businesses to hold up well under the weight of a global recession, their resilience is remarkable and has exceeded our expectations.”
 

David Jordan:

Thats retarded that you are Whining about a report from 3 years ago. your just following suit like all the others. You hear them bashing the Government for removing this report so you jump on board with no foresight to see that it is irrelevant. My dealings with them in the last week have lead me to say the information was taken off the site but not off the server because the file was out dated but the files have not been moved to a archived back up yet. Everyone is throwing that report around like its a Big Thing and the people who keep posting the link to the report think they are some BIG hero because they saved it for the world to see!! goon on ya mate! Your a Hero!


Marty Simpson: The BC 150 Cultural Legacy Fund is set up as an Endowment. They dont get to use the $150 Million Dollars like you think. What it is, from what i've been told is an Endowment where they Use the money Earned through the Interest and put it to good use. The original $150 million stays put and untouched and the Interest is what is spent. The interest rates have been so low over the last year that the amount of money that was estimated to be in there wasn't there. so some of the disbursements have been cut back due to that one little mishap.


Melodious One has really said it correctly from the get go. When people on here vote Agree or Disagree its because they can't open their eyes to the truth behind the matters or are Unwilling to realize that state that the economy is in. What we're saying is how it is. Arts are a luxury and 11% cut over all isn't as bad as it could have been seeing as how the economy has been over the last little while.  

The studies on the economic impact of the arts were done by the Provincial Government and used in the bid to obtain the Winter Olympics as culture is the second pillar of the Olympics. There have been other studies by public and private sector agencies on the economic impact and return in tax revenues that have similar conclusions. The arts=jobs. That is one reason why nine other provincial governments increased support of the arts.
Why has the BC Government reneged on its obligations to the IOC?

Arts and culture in BC are worth 5.2 billion dollars and employ 80,000 people. However of the 114 sectors of the BC budget, arts and culture took the biggest cut - about 90% compared to an average cut of 7% in other sectors.

Aside from appealing to the minority of rednecks, how does it help the development of BC to reduce the arts budget from its miniscule 1/20 of 1%?
What is the economic justification in giving $11 million to the Premier's office? That is many times the proposed arts budget for all of BC.

If one needs another economic justification for support of the arts especially in times of recession, read John Maynard Keynes who showed that art is primary wealth creation (while activities our society currently values more highly like real estate, banking, law and actuarial work for example are secondary or tertiary wealth creators).

Arts also have intrinsic and institutional value and polls show the vast majority of British Columbians value the arts. Ask some of the hundreds of thousands of people who visited the Vermeer/Rembrandt exhibition at the VAG, or Bard on the Beach, Vancouver Public Library or the many hundreds of students studying music, theatre, art, dance, or writing. Ask the 45% of British Columbians who visit a museum each year. They know the arts are at the heart of civilization.  

Yes, thank you Amour De Cosmos, for returning to the point. Apparently Welfare in this province is reserved strictly for the corporate sector. And the Rich. This government is actively and successfully dismantling our values, culture and ability to produce real, tangible products.
This is classic colonial behaviour from a group of radical, elitist men who love to see the great unwashed masses turn on eachother like feral dogs instead of recognising our oppressors and dealing with them with the courage and conviction of our ancestors. Well mine anyway.
My point is, all this fingerpointing at various groups who ARE working to better our communities, is counterproductive. Please realise you are being manipulated by spin doctors on every level.
The arts are not about a bunch of (insert stereotype here) it's about social discourse in nonviolent ways. It's about hope and beauty and ugliness. It's so important for us to be able to freely express our identities as a culture.
The reason the arts need funding is as healthcare needs funding and education. That's because current economic models DO NOT ACCOUNT for the intrinsic values of a safe and equitable society. 

Congratulations, Charlie, for creating an article which prompts so much discussion. Alas, it's sounds as if some of these folk work for the PAB (Public Affairs Bureau) a.k.a. KGB.....just kidding? Apart from Letterman and Michael Moore's latest, it's nice to enjoy Word on the Street and the Aboriginal Festival and the Country Fair in Langley.(All tax supported events) For good, solid entertainment one can watch the circus on the Leg channel from 2 pm onward Mon. - Thurs. An education for all! Cheers.
monty 

I have to say i am fed up by ignorant people like melodious one. If you want to say good bye to the arts because they require funding- say good bye to your video games, magazines, film, theatre, designer clothes... the list goes on. Besides the arts requiring very little money from the government compared to business' like forestry, the auto industry etc... the spin off business from the arts and "culture" industries are HUGE- people used to come to our province to experience our culture (what little we have...) and they see our theatre and film and eat our food and shop and stay in our hotels etc.... if you are so daft that you can't understand that... Imagine a world without artists. Imagine a world without culture and you have your boring little world where you do only what makes a big profit. Take away all of our museums our art galleries, all of our cultural institutions and then see how great your life is. You have an unbelievably ignorant and self focused attitude. As for it sounding like a group of whining teenagers... please... i think you are the one that needs to grow up. We need more people with open minds and a grander vision than we all work our 9-5 jobs and do our "art" as a hobby. What a sad world that would be. I am hopeful that more people understand the entertainment economy more than you do and i hope more of b.c. values our arts and culture more than you do. I have to say many of your comments make me very sad about the state of our culture in canada. the great cities of the world were built on there culture. Do you go to Paris or London or Berlin to see people practice their hobbies after they have finished their real jobs? the idea that the long hours and hard work that artists do is all fun and doesn't deserve a decent salary is a very dangerous path to follow. I hope we have better people out there than you. I can only HOPE.  

Art is a public service that the government is happy to trot out and show off when they want to impress the world. But that same government doesn't want to pay the bill for developing the end result.

Read this article- it's a great one... http://thetyee.ca/Opinion/2010/02/15/MarkYoungArtsCuts/

Artists are working for a living. Most of the artists I know are working 7 days a week because they love their work- maybe that's why there are people who don't understand that it is Work. Because many people think mistakenly that if you love what you do for a living, then it's not a "real job."

That doesn't by the way mean it's all fun and games. Sometimes it's boring, or intense or just really hard work. There are books to balance, numbers to crunch, people to employ, customers to satisfy, boards of directors to negotiate with. Keep in mind the funding cuts aren't just affecting individual artists, but large arts organizations and the people who work there (including office staff - if they are not volunteers).

In fact, I think most independent artists know a heck of a lot more about balancing a budget than Campbell's government does- they have far less to work with right off the bat, and have to use their creativity to plan, considering the future as well as short term results of their work and making a little go a long way (something the BC Liberals clearly do not know how to do- their specialty seems to be making a lot vanish).

I'll use a simple example.

Think of it this way- one script, paid for by public broadcasting, employes potentially hundreds of people from tech and development through to actors and director. There are people to add special effects and sound and edit and put the final product together etc etc.

The final movie becomes an asset which can be bought, sold, traded, rented, downloaded, extracted, exported, imported, shared, previewed.

There is advertising space purchased to promote the movie- money which supports television networks and other media outlets.

If it's a really good movie it gets merchandise- more employment and also people who then buy the merchandise. There might be a website for the movie (usually there is)- which again is work for someone, and potential purchasing for someone else.

Now how much money is that script worth? How many people did that one person's idea support? How many more people consumed the end result? How many bought popcorn, t-shirts, dvd's, or downloaded the movie off of Itunes? How many people watched the movie on Air Canada? How many buses or billboards were covered? How many people talked about, laughed at, read about, or listened to news about the film?

Explain to me how spending the initial money to support the artist is unprofitable and doesn't contribute to the economy? One script stimulates far more economy than a latte or a widget.

I have nothing against making widgets, or lattes, but artists produce ideas and concepts which are turned into profit, into tangible assets and which employ people. This is not a discussion about airy fairy self-discovery- it's a significant part of the public labour force.

Part of the reason our economy has been hit in BC is that other provinces are offering larger tax breaks than BC for films ... so there are less films here because it is more expensive to shoot here.

There is a DIRECT correlation between BC economic growth and arts and culture. Right now the Liberals are selling our province's future. I'm furious for my kids sake- I don't want them to feel they have to make widgets for a living instead of creating a product that will not only pays a return every time someone buys/listens to/watches/attends, but that contributes to the communities we live in.  

Sheryl McGraw reviewed on his post in one of the site that Tourism, Culture and the Arts Minister Kevin Krueger has refused to answer a question from NDP culture critic Spencer Herbert in the legislature about next year’s cuts to core arts funding. On November 2 during the ministry budget estimates debate, Herbert stated that core funding for arts and culture will be reduced to $3.7 million in 2010–11.