Allegro
Legislative Update
Volume CIII, No. 9September, 2003
HELP CANADIAN MUSICIANS
BIG INCREASES IN ARTS FUNDING
LABOR PUSHES FOR JOBS IN LOWER MANHATTAN
LMDC SEEKS ARTS GROUPS
CULTURE BUILDS NEW YORK
MOURNING JAMES DAVIS
HELP CANADIAN MUSICIANS
The AFM is asking Local 802 members to help make it easier for Canadian musicians to get visas. Currently, foreign performers face untenable delays and uncertainties in obtaining approval for visa petitions.
802 members should contact their members of Congress and demand that Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services improve the processing of “O” and “P” non-immigrant visa petitions filed on behalf of international guest artists by nonprofit arts organizations.
Contact your members of Congress by visiting www.unionvoice.org.
BIG INCREASES IN ARTS FUNDING
On July 17, the House of Representatives increased funding for the National Endowment of the Arts by $10 million and the National Endowment for the Humanities by $5 million over the amounts recommended by the House Appropriations Committee, bringing their respective funding levels up to $127.5 million and $142 million.
Reps. Louise Slaughter (D-NY), Chris Shays (R-CT), Norm Dicks (D-WA) and Jim Leach (R-IA) sponsored the amendment. The amendment passed by a vote of 225 to 200. The increase in funding is for fiscal year 2004.
LABOR PUSHES FOR JOBS IN LOWER MANHATTAN
A coalition is pushing for 60,000 new jobs in Lower Manhattan to be funded by funds promised to New York after Sept. 11, 2001.
The Labor Community Action Network is an organization that consists of labor unions, community organizations, research and advocacy groups and service providers.
The program, called “Liberty Jobs,” would use funds from the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation and would create new full-time public service jobs as well as partial wage subsidies for private sector employment. The plan also provides funding for career development, language education and summer youth employment.
For additional information, visit www.lcan.org.
LMDC SEEKS ARTS GROUPS
The Lower Manhattan Development Corporation has invited cultural institutions to be involved with the new World Trade Center site.
The LMDC has received more than 75 proposals from arts groups looking to move downtown or be involved in the site in some form.
For more information, please visit www.renewnyc.org.
CULTURE BUILDS NEW YORK
The Alliance for the Arts just released a report that details how culture-related construction generates money. From 1997 to 2002, capital expenditures of $1.8 billion generated $2.3 billion in total economic impact, including $512 million in wages; 2,255 full-time jobs in each of the six years; and $36 million in personal income, sales and corporate taxes to the city.
The Alliance for the Arts has found that the city provides most or all of capital funding, helps private fundraising efforts in early stages of a capital campaign, renews momentum for private fundraising in mid-campaign, and provides significant support for infrastructure projects.
MOURNING JAMES DAVIS
Local 802 sends our heartfelt condolences to Councilman James Davis’ family on his tragic death. Councilman Davis was a true friend of labor and publicly fought for the arts community. He will be missed.