Monday, December 11, 2006

Another "Oregon only" boondoggle

Oregon Cultural Trust grows out of its challenging infancy
There was a time when people thought the Oregon Cultural Trust would have about $80 million socked away in an endowment by now and given away nearly $40 million to the state's arts, heritage and humanities organizations.

The reality has turned out to be something more modest: There is but $5 million in an endowment originally projected to reach $200 million by 2011.

And instead of nearly $40 million in grants, the trust has given out about $3.76 million.

But proponents of the trust, a landmark initiative still unmatched in any other state, still have something to crow about.

I love how our local media describe things that only Oregon is stupid enough to do. The Cultural Trust simply takes dollars that could otherwise go to public safety or schools and gives them to people who without government grants would probably be homeless. Can't imagine why no other state has a cultural trust.


What would we do without public art like this?

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

This money should be spent on bus tickets for the homeless. "solv" save Oregons less valued.These art plaza areas seem to attract the homeless. "kill two birds with one stone"

Anonymous said...

Art or "free money" off that scrap metal for meth heads?

Anonymous said...

Cultural non trust is more like it. They don't even come close to getting the money they wanted, but the liberal paper still runs a front page story/AD for them saying things are well?
See that annual budget? $360,000.00 for what? A couple of people to drive around and ask for money.
Meanwhile Oregon has an extra $880,000.00 to waste on "Farm worker" housing (stroy in 12/7 El Hispanic news, as well as OFIR Day labor rally).
AND the S/K admins get a fat raise AND the sewer/water rates in Salem are going up AND NW Natural needs higher rates too.
If wages were climbing instead of stagnating, this may be easier to swallow but thanks to un-limited job competition from the 3rd world, this is all out of reach for most of us.

Kaelri said...

"I love how our local media describe things that only Oregon is stupid enough to do."

Take heart, Daniel. The people of Oregon aren't alone. You can drown your sorrows with the subjects of Lorenzo de' Medici and King James I.

Anonymous said...

The Cultural Trust was the brainchild of Ben Westlund. As soon as it was created he tried to snag the $80,000 a year director's position.

Anonymous said...

Ahh, spending other peoples money on useless crap as only Oregon can. Hey do those metal discs just cry out for a "Plate Shoot" I'm sure we'd here that nice PING sound as the bullets strike their target.

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