http://statenews.com When money is tight in government, the arts usually are cut right away. Considered expendable and unimportant, art, music and other cultural programs often are the first to see the chopping block in favor of more “valuable” programs or services. en-us Gryphon 2.2.3b-tsn (woodward)/Foundry5 Sat, 17 Oct 2009 08:29:55 -0400 webmaster@statenews.com http://statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/46257 The arts are not “expendible and unimportant,” they’re simply not a core function of government and therefore are an illegitimate and invalid use of public funds. Unfortunately, this new effort amounts to nothing more than “rent seeking,” which is part of the reason we have an economic downturn from which you want spirits lifted. Viscious, meet cycle. Cycle, meet viscious. Thu, 15 Oct 2009 11:41:25 -0400 http://statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/46257 http://statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/46265 If you put lipstick on a pig, it’s still a pig Thu, 15 Oct 2009 12:57:13 -0400 http://statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/46265 http://statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/46285 Todd, you’re doing it wrong. Thu, 15 Oct 2009 16:22:34 -0400 http://statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/46285 http://statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/46398 Hmmm. The Lansing area is slowly dying and the plan government comse up with is not about JOBS but about making the town a nicer place to die in. The State News calls the plan “quite vague,” “not definitive,” and admits “it won’t solve all the problems facing this area” yet supports spending taxpayer money for it. Maybe that’s the REAL problem – there is no intelligent leadership in this town and no media responsible enough capable enough to say the Emperor has no clothes. The ONLY thing that will save Lansing is JOBS. Sat, 17 Oct 2009 08:29:55 -0400 http://statenews.com/index.php/comment/view/46398