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Advocacy Alert! Support 4Culture at Last Public Hearing Tomorrow

We have big news to report from Advocate4Culture about the efforts to support SHB 1997 which proposes to secure a solid future for 4Culture’s arts, heritage, and preservation funding programs as a part of King County’s larger economic development strategy.

According to Advocate4Culture’s Blog, here’s the latest:

“Advocates, we need you as much as ever. Our LAST PUBLIC HEARING (woo hoo!) is scheduled and we need everyone and anyone to show up, sign in and be present. This is the most important action you can take to help save arts and heritage funding. If this is a basketball game, we’re in the last 5 minutes, and the hometown crowd needs to jump to it’s feet. This is our last chance to show up en mass and show our legislators who’s lives/economies/communities/jobs they’re dealing with.

Senate Ways & Means hearing on SHB 1997

THIS Wednesday, 03/30/11, 1:30 pm (second on the agenda)

J.A. Cherberg Building, Senate Hearing Rm 4 – Olympia

Driving? Click Here for Directions & Parking

Plan to arrive in Olympia around 1:15 to sign in.

Need a ride? Email us at [email protected]

We’ll be leaving the Pioneer Square neighborhood (in Seattle) around 11:30 a.m. and hope to be back no later than 6:30 p.m. BE THERE!

If you cannot attend, please write or call the members of the Ways and Means committee hearing the bill and urge them to support SHB 1997. They will likely vote on it in the next few days. The clock is ticking! Save arts and heritage in King County TODAY!”

 

 

 

Half Way to Saving 4Culture

Over the weekend, the State Legislature voted to pass two bills supporting arts and culture. The House passed HB1997 and the Senate passed SB5834. This is great news and means we’re half way from saving 4Culture! The Seattle Times covered the story here.

So what’s next? The bills now swap places to be heard in the opposite chamber. Advocate4Culture outlines the process on its blog.

Stay tuned. Expect another big push in the next week or two. That means more letter writing and trips to Olympia. Your voices have been heard so far so thank you.

Great News from Advocate4Culture

Here’s the latest news from Advocate4Culture posted on its blog last night (March 4):

SHB 1997 Passes the House! It’s after 10 p.m. on Friday night and we’ve just watched the debate of SHB 1997 on the floor of the House. We can take a moment to celebrate…SHB 1997 passed the House! Stay tuned for what we need to do next to push ahead. For now, congratulations advocates and supportive legislators, on a job well done!”

MAin2 will keep the updates and calls for action coming as we go through this process. Historic Seattle is a full partner in the Advocate4Culture Coalition. Thanks to all who have contacted your legislators!

Advocacy Alert! Act NOW to Support 4Culture Again

Thanks to all who have already written to your legislators in support of saving 4Culture. If you haven’t contacted them, it’s not too late. We’re coming down to the wire.

The two bills that can save 4Culture (HB 1997 and SB 5834) have made it two committees and are now ready for full floor votes, perhaps by the end of the week. Time is of the essence so please contact your legislators in both the House and Senate TODAY. Even if you’ve already contacted them, they need to hear from you again. For full details, go to Advocate4Culture.

Advocacy Alert! 4Culture and King County Need Your Help Now

All you arts and heritage advocates will be happy to hear that House Bill (HB) 1997 was dropped in the State House of Representatives on February 18, 2011. HB 1997 proposes to secure a solid future for 4Culture’s arts, heritage, and preservation funding programs as a part of King County’s larger economic development strategy. For more info on this bill, go to Blog4Culture. For details on how you can help, go to Advocate4Culture. It outlines what actions you can take to help make a difference. Contact your legislators by February 22nd or attend the hearing to show support for HB 1997 in Olympia on February 22 at 1:30 pm.

 

29 Heritage Projects Need Your Help in Getting Critical Funding

Last July, the Washington State Historical Society Advisory Board recommended 29 grant requests for full funding in the 2011 – 2013 biennium through the Heritage Capital Projects Fund. State law allows up to $10 million of state bond money to be appropriated for capital projects through the Fund each biennium. Funding for these projects has been appropriated without fail since 1997. This year, however the Governor’s proposed budget has eliminated the Heritage Capital Projects Fund.

YOUR support is needed to help restore funding to worthy projects across the state.

The 29 projects (including Historic Seattle’s Washington Hall) that were recommended for funding in the 2011 – 2013 biennium are a sure-fire way to promote economic development at the community level. The $10 million investment will:

  • Catalyze local investment to complete projects valued at many times the state investment. (Each dollar invested by the state is matched 2:1 by the projects)
  • Create project related jobs
  • Generate sales tax revenue for the state

Collectively these 29 organizations provide educational opportunities and community space to several million visitors annually. The projects were selected through a rigorous state-wide competitive peer vetting process.  Find out more about this issue in a recent article in Crosscut, an online news journal.  Historic Seattle is collaborating with the other 28 projects on an advocacy strategy to get this funding back into the state’s budget and will be heading to Olympia regularly to meet with legislators and will keep you updated on our progress. We need your help to ensure our project receives the funding to move forward. (more…)

Save 4Culture

4Culture, the single largest source of arts and heritage funding in King County, is about to go away. In order to save 4Culture, Advocate4Culture is forming a coalition of artists, organizations, and audiences. Advocate4Culture believes  that arts and heritage is vital to our economy, quality-of-life, education and pride in our communities.

What can you do to help?
1. Join the Advocate4Culture Coalition and be counted among the effort’s supporters.
2. Learn about the issue through Advocate4Culture’s website.
3. Tell other people.
4. Be prepared to act.

By joining Advocate4Culture, you’ll be asked to help at crucial points as the coalition works to pass a bill in Olympia over the next several months. Together, we will save 4Culture!

To find out more about Advocate4Culture, attend the Great City Brownbag on Thursday, January 13.

Where: GGLO Space at the Steps, 1301 First Ave., Level A
Date: Thursday, January 13, 2011
Time: 12:00 pm to 1:30 pm
Enter through door located about 1/4 of the way down the Harbor Steps

What Price Seattle’s Skyline?

There’s a debate brewing regarding the proposed updates to Seattle’s sign ordinance. Should City Council pass legislation that amends the sign ordinance to allow large signs on buildings in downtown zones to be placed more than sixty-five feet above ground level under certain circumstances?

City Council’s Regional Development and Sustainability Committee held a public hearing on December 7th regarding this matter. Over twenty people testified against allowing these changes while a small handful spoke in support. Council also received many written comments opposing the change, including letters from University of Washington architecture professors, Historic Seattle, the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation and scores of design professionals, residents and concerned citizens. So what’s the big deal? What was anticipated as a minor change to the land use code that would fly under the radar has mushroomed into a controversial issue. The proposed legislation was written for one business, Russell Investments, which recently moved into the WaMu Center after pulling up stakes and leaving its original home, Tacoma. (more…)

Help Save King County Lodging Tax Funding for Preservation, Heritage, and the Arts!

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. (more…)