Draconian Cuts Risk Florida Jobs

By WILLIAM B. STRONGE Special to the Tribune

Published: Apr 22, 2008

The Florida Legislature is going through the painful process of cutting the state budget because of the current severe recession impacting our state. All programs are subject to cuts, as they should be, and some programs are being cut more drastically than others.

I write to urge your readers to contact their state legislators and ask that the exceptionally severe cuts being imposed in the grants for the cultural programs of the state be moderated because of the importance of this industry to the economic development of Florida.

As a part of the overall state budget, the amount of state funds granted to the many cultural institutions in Florida is miniscule - amounting to less than one-fourth of one percent of one percent (this is not a typo) of the total state budget. Funding for these programs was cut by 61 percent this year and now faces, at best, another one-third reduction if the Senate budget is passed and another two-thirds reduction if the House Budget is passed.

The return on this extremely modest investment for our state's economy is extraordinary. There are studies that demonstrate how the arts help attract tourism and businesses to our state. And cultural commerce is a significant industry itself. The most recent study completed on the economic impact of the arts in Florida found that more than 28,000 workers are employed by non-profit arts businesses throughout our state.

Over the last five fiscal years (ending in September 2007) the state's cultural industry has been one of the star performers of the Florida economy. According to the latest Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, employment in performing arts companies and Independent Workers and Artists grew by twice the rate of increase in employment in the totality of the state's industries (19.9 percent, compared to 10.3 percent). Even more exciting, the cultural industries paid average weekly wages that were 7 percent higher than the all-industry average in fiscal year 2007.

The cultural industries are employing just the kind of workforce that Florida wishes to encourage - skilled, creative and higher wage-earners. Draconian cuts will erode the outstanding performance achieved by the industry over the last five years and set back a part of our economy that consistently outperforms its already disproportionately diminished state investment.

William B. Stronge, Ph.D., is professor emeritus of economics at Florida Atlantic University.