Advocate 4Culture / Source: advocate4culture.blogspot.com
The legislative session ends soon and 4Culture needs your help. Many of us have received grants from 4Culture, or have benefited or enjoyed the fine programs and projects it supports. This could all evaporate if the King County Lodging Tax is not renewed for 4Culture. After the last five years of effort to continue use of this funding source for preservation, heritage, and arts, it’s now down to the wire. In 2012, 4Culture’s revenue stream goes away. All grant programs will grind to a halt. This will have widespread detrimental effects on the entire preservation, heritage and arts communities throughout the county.
WHAT YOU CAN DO: Contact your legislators in Olympia TODAY. Both SB 6051 and HB 2912 are alive, and fairly far along. They secure a percentage of lodging tax for culture. Make your voice heard. The supporters’ blog, Advocate 4Culture, gives you the latest news and gets you to your legislators. Scroll down in that blog to see a good sampling of approaches to take in making your point about the importance of this funding. Simply ask for their help continuing lodging tax funding for preservation, heritage, and the arts in King County!
If you need help with this, attend a “Laptop Rally” on March 4th (6 – 8pm) at Caffe Vita in the Tashiro Kaplan building in Pioneer Square, 125 Prefontaine Pl S. This event is planned to coincide with First Thursday Artwalk in Pioneer Square, so you can stop by, send an email to your legislator, and then hit the streets to see some art!
My message to Ranker, Quall and Morris: While these bills don’t apply to my district directly, I want to encourage you to support the continuation of lodging tax funding for preservation and the arts in King County. Because historic preservation in San Juan County has even fewer resources available, those of us working in the field of preservation, whether paid or volunteer, rely heavily on the information and programs and other resources generated by King County. Just last Saturday, I attended a workshop on historic preservation and weatherization rehab that was put on by the historic preservation board of Anacortes. The two speakers were both from King County and they provided much needed information that benefited both Island and San Juan counties. There is a multiplier effect from the use of King County’s lodging tax funds for preservation–it helps many Washington residents, including those from your jurisdiction. I hope you will support both related bills. Thank you.