I am always skeptical of statements like this:
"Cultural industries generate 3% of the state's economy: 78,000 jobs and over $9.2 billion annually, with potential for more." ~SC Arts Commission
It's self serving because they're trying to counter Nikki Haley's proposed elimination of their agency. How do they know those 78,000 jobs would disappear completely if their agency was eliminated? How do they know it generates $9.2 billion. That works out to $117,948 / job. Those are some very well paid artists! Certainly more money than I've ever been paid to do real work.
Don't get me wrong. I'm a fan of the arts. My daughter plays the violin in her high school orchestra. I am a guitar player and I've been a painter.
I know $2.5 million seems like a small number when we're looking at an $829 million budget shortfall, but we've got to start somewhere.
I'll leave you with this one thought about government funding of the arts in general. Would you force opera fans to subsidize monster truck rallies? No. Then why force monster truck fans to subsidize opera?
Trommetter Times 