Recently, I received a posting from Facebook about an event that sponsors financial support for Erie County Comptroller, Mark Poloncarz, bid for County Executive against, and loathed by Arts Groups, incumbent Chris Collins.
Entitled Friends of the Arts for Mark Poloncarz Fundraiser, this event is schedule at the Cabaret Restaurant featuring "Food Live Music", a cash bar at a cash bar and, most importantly, "meet the candidate" for $25.
For those in the Arts Community who would like to see a photon torpedo sent into Darth Collins' Death Star backside, the event sounds like a positive step in bringing down the Evil Empire.
With that said, I am going to sound like a Debbie-Downer, Poloncarz party-farter.
Who is Mark Poloncarz and what can he do for Western New York's Arts Community?
From his website, County Comptroller Poloncarz has been effective in being a "taxpayer's watchdog" and has "called out wasteful spending and irresponsible actions" in attempts to hold government accountable. Additionally, under his watch Erie County credit rating has "increased 4 steps...to the current rating of A2" indicating his background in private-section business has been effective in the overseeing of County budgets.
As he launches his campaign to oust Collins, Poloncarz paints a lovely picture of imagining a better Erie County in his video ads (as seen above) by electing an County Executive who "actually cares" about the taxpayers and will place the people first by "always remembering who his bosses are."
I can see why anti-Collins folks are giddy about this candidate.
His rhetoric is strong as he understands that Libraries and the Arts are important in creating a better community, "The Arts are one of the basic underlying principles of a strong economy", he states in his website section Preserving Our Artistic and Educational Assets.
With the local economic impact of the Arts briefly stated, Poloncarz shifts emphasis on the importance of libraries during "difficult economic times" by informing us that "Libraries improve our quality of life and act as an essential educational resource." He enforces his belief that a reduction in "economic and educational resources" will lead to less access to these "essential services."
"A library acts as a lifeline. When people cannot afford books, CD's and DVD's, they turn to libraries." He concludes.
So what about Mark Poloncarz's thoughts on how to better Erie County Arts groups?
We already know about the economic viability of the Arts but he states nothing about HOW he intends to fund (or WHO gets the funding for that matter) the Arts.
Collins also understands the economic viability of the Arts but choses to fund what he believes to be relevant to the County's economic engine. What is going to separate Poloncarz from Collins' platform? A lesser of two Evils?
How he plans to fund the Arts is an important response and transcends political affiliations, the mentality of "anyone but Collins" and the desperate belief that rhetoric, and not detailed plans, fix problems.
Recently I sent a list of questions designed to have Poloncarz detail his plans to fund the Arts and keep them viable. Two weeks later and I have not received any answer or indication that these questions reached the candidate.
If one is feeling lucky, contact Poloncarz through his website by clicking Voice Your Opinion and ask for clarity into how (who and why) he intends to fund Erie County Arts.
Ultimately, these question should be answered clearly and directly (without donated $25 for an opportunity to "meet" Poloncarz) before the Arts Community throws its powerful endorsement behind him and any other candidate that asks us to "imagine" a better community.
I am not saying Poloncarz is just another politician with a feel-good message as much as stating, simply, that public funding is dwindling away and those in Arts Community have a tremendous stake in who creates policy. We cannot afford to throw away our endorsement on a politician who has a positive soundbite designed to electrify a disenfranchised voter block.
Buyer beware!
Matthew LaChiusa is the Executive/Artistic Director for the American Rep Theater of WNY, Inc and is a huge Ramones fan. He also believes that Mark Poloncarz is more "user friendly" than his opponent and has the potential to be a good County Executive.
Buyer beware!
Matthew LaChiusa is the Executive/Artistic Director for the American Rep Theater of WNY, Inc and is a huge Ramones fan. He also believes that Mark Poloncarz is more "user friendly" than his opponent and has the potential to be a good County Executive.
2 comments:
Mark is indeed going to support the arts. As the county comptroller, he knows exactly where the money that should go to the culturals is. It's being piggy-banked by Collins so that he can show a surplus, along with stimulus money granted to the county for job creation. Poloncarz is not planning on a spending spree of money that doesn't exist, or taking more money from taxpayers. The money is in the budget- King Collins is just hiding it under his mattress. Full disclosure- Mark is a friend, but he's the real deal, and I, for one, have been working my ass off to get him elected...
Anyone can appreciate belief and hard work and I find your efforts and faith in Poloncarz commendable.
Okay, Collins is indeed sitting on a surplus and Poloncarz is going to release some of this "piggy bank" to support the Arts.
And he's just going to release this funding without building in some form of accountability on the part of Cultural Groups and treat this money as some sort of public trough?
Hmm.
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