Kevin Falcon promises to restore gambling grants to arts and culture
Liberal leadership hopeful Kevin Falcon has announced he will restore charitable gambling grants to the arts and culture sector.
In a news release, Falcon said he would bring back the gambling grants to $159 million; give charities three-year funding guarantees; reinstate a grants category for adult arts, culture and sports groups; and explore bringing back and increasing capital matching grants to $150,000 a year for three years.
“The arts and culture sector is often not properly recognized as an economic generator for British Columbia,” said Falcon in the release. He also proposes exploring a provincial income tax credit for service, fraternal, and other club dues of up to $200 annually, and setting aside $2 million annually for a series of $20,000 capital grants for Parent Advisory Committees to upgrade school playgrounds.
Falcon’s promises regarding gambling policy run counter to the actions of Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General Rich Coleman, who has publicly endorsed Falcon. Under Coleman, who also administered gambling policy while serving previously as Minister of Housing and Social Development, gambling grants were slashed from $156 million in 2008/09 to $113 million in 2009/10, and $120 million in 2010/11, with adult arts organizations who did not have multi-year funding commitments deemed ineligible.
The Straight is waiting for a response to a request for comment from Coleman.
Comments
12 Comments
Fan'o Truth
Feb 4, 2011 at 12:01pm
Falcon’s promises regarding gaming policy run counter to the actions of Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General Rich Coleman, who has publicly endorsed Falcon.
Typical coalition politics. The sands can shift overnight based on a backroom recalc. Has anyone asked Coleman to comment on this particular Falcon pronouncement?
RonS
Feb 4, 2011 at 12:19pm
Glub, Glub kevee. You're party and you are liars and have proven it since 2001. Now you're not so arrogant but if you win, well lets just say, "a lepoard never changes their spots" EVER! Bye, bye!
Bruno15
Feb 4, 2011 at 12:58pm
Even Adrian Dix and Dana Larsen had the decency to address how they were gong to fund their promises. Without that, this is nothing more than baby-kissing. I liked it better when he was spouting platitudes about his family.
monty (that's me)
Feb 4, 2011 at 1:31pm
Let's see: the casinos offer money laundering services for organized crime. Wowee, that tells us more about Fearless Falcon's friends and backers than he probably wants us to know. Oops, try again, take the money out of all those unnecessary travel expenditures of all those Ministers, bureaucrats, wives and mistresses.. Cheers.
ds
Feb 4, 2011 at 1:40pm
They've slashed taxes so I wonder where the money is going to come from unless they cut back on health and education. Are your eyes brown or do you think we're just plain stupid.
Cornelius
Feb 4, 2011 at 2:28pm
Falcon cannot be trusted anymore than his <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRYrx1AGzZw&feature=player_embedded">... boss</a> could be.
UWSofty
Feb 4, 2011 at 3:10pm
I wouldn't trust Falcon as far as I could kick him.
john brooks
Feb 4, 2011 at 4:38pm
Gosh, alot of left wing ranting going on here. Sounds like you are all panicing over the fact that you party of choice, the NDP is imploding all on its own doing and that you are soon to be enjoying another five years of liberal rule. Yahooo. I can't wait to read your rants after that. Suck it up boys and girls your leftist ideals are dead in the water. Hurts doesn't it?
former activist
Feb 5, 2011 at 5:36am
Falcons lips are moving - believability scale?
1(not) - 10(highly believable)
my vote is somewhere below 1 (-3.75)
Linda
Feb 5, 2011 at 12:52pm
Falcon is a Campbell clone. I'm sure they both had the same speech writer. Yes, by all means, they must support the money laundering scam. That is only one Liberal scam, among many.