This is a particularly important time in our Nation's history for the arts and humanities. As Lou Harris so aptly put it when he testified before the Select Subcommittee on Education in September, we have become a post-industrial society able to use our technological skills and resources to provide a standard of convenience and comfort never before experienced in human history. It is because we have achieved this ability to provide basic services in an industrial environment that we are now able to turn our efforts to the quality of this experience. And I can think of no greater contribution to the quality of our national life during the next 10 years than an affirmation of our commitment to the arts and humanities. Many persons do not realize that symphonies, ballet, theater, opera, museums, educational institutions, and libraries are not selfsupporting. It is my hope, as we move through this important decade, that we will be able to provide additional funds to the arts and humanities to enable them to functions at an appropriate level. This is why the National Endowments are so important. I am particularly pleased to see that H.R. 7216 contains a provision to increase Federal aid to museums. As a trustee of the Brooklyn Museum, I am well aware of the importance of recognizing the unique contribution that museums make to our cultural heritage. The American people must, I believe, be encouraged, privately and individually, to help contribute to the continued vitality of our arts and humanities. If the public only knew there may be $20 or $30 in costs behind the $8.50 they see printed on their symphony boxseat, I believe they would be willing to make a greater personal commitment. For this reason I have introduced a bill, H.R. 8274, to increase publie support for our creative heritage. H.R. 8274 seeks to utilize Federal income tax returns to permit taxpayers to contribute to the National Endowments. The bill provides space in the first page of your Federal income tax form for contributions to the NEA and the NEH, which would be made in addition to tax payments or in lieu of tax refunds, and of course would be tax deductible. This checkoff is similar to that which appears on your tax form now for contributions to the Presidential campaigns. The funds raised by this checkoff would be used for direct subsidies to organizations and community groups across the Nation, and not for administrative costs for the National Endowments. Funding for the arts and humanities would continue to be apportioned equitably to the States, taking into account individual art forms and cultural differences. Philanthropists, State art councils, city governments and others would still contribute to the arts and humanities only now there would be a mechanism to make up the deficit which these contributors cannot cover. In a sense this bill is a free advertising campaign to solicit funds from 80.7 million taxpayers. This bill would not use Government money; it would complement what the members of your two subcommittees are able to provide. Support among the general public for such a subsidy is widespread. The recent Harris poll called "Americans and the Arts" predicted that arts checkoff could produce more than $1 billion. According to the survey, 64 percent of the adult public would be willing to pay an addi 247 onal $5 a year for support of the arts and cultural facilities, 47 pernt would be willing to pay an additional $25 a year; 36 percent would y an additional $50 a year. The bill has received widespread support in the professional commuty; it has been endorsed by Beverly Sills, Theodore Bikel, Thomas oving, George Wein, Joseph Papp, Hal Davis, John Hightower, rederick O'Neill, and others. These people share the belief that H.R. 74 would help relieve the intense financial struggle of our arts and Itural institutions. llege presidents, and those in the field of higher education who unThe bill has also received the support of arts labor organizations, rstand what this influx of money in the form of grants and new proI am tremendously pleased that your two subcommittees are considams could do to revitalize our ailing institutions of higher learning. ing two bills that continue our Federal commitment to the arts and manities, and provide for at least 4 more years of this vital contribditional public contributions in the form of tax checkoffs. I belie n. It is my hope that eventually we will be able to have the benefit e American people are ready and willing to make such a contribu On. And I believe that your efforts here with H.R. 7216 and S. 1800 ll help guide the way for the American people. For, in the end, it O to each and every one of us to help keep alive the rich strain of ity that is part of being an American. crea Representative BRADEMAS. Thank you very much, Mr. Richmon for providing prc ferred to the Ways and Means Committee in that it is a tax bill. But does hold out another method, as you suggest, r the arts and humanities in the United States. funds on which has been referred to our two subcommittees. We will certainly have it in mind as we consider the other legisla I want to express my own personal appreciation to you for the uing support you have given to the program of the arts manities. Thank you for this idea. Mr. RICHMOND. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Senator PELL. Thank you. Mr. Chairman. I echo the comments of Mr. Brademas and I congratulate nost imaginative proposal. Mr. RICHMOND. Thank you, Senator Pell. con and you for Representative BRADEMAS. We will now hear from Amyas Ames the National Committee for Cultural Resources and chairman of e board of the Lincoln Center, New York, an old friend of these to subcommittees. We look forward to hearing what Mr. Ames has to say. TATEMENT OF AMYAS AMES, NATIONAL COMMITTEE FOR CUL TURAL RESOURCES AND CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD OF THE LINCOLN CENTER, NEW YORK Mr. AMES. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. May I present the report of the National Committee for Cultural Resources and ask that it be made a part of the record? I point out the first six pages summarize it. There is fascinating material later. Maybe if it could be printed, we would appreciate that. Representative BRADEMAS. Without objection, the entire report will be printed as part of the record. Mr. AMES. Thank you very much. [Report follows:] 1 1 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS Interest in the arts has risen steadily over the past decade, and continues to rise. The work of the Committee provides fresh evidence that both audiences and the number of arts organizations are continuing to grow in communities in every part of the nation. The American people themselves are making the strongest case for the arts. Rising public interest and participation have caused increases in private support, and in government assistance at local, county, state and Federal levels. Government support, in turn, has stimulated increases in arts activities. 2 The arts are a growth industry. The Committee's work reaffirms and reinforces earlier studies on this growth. While attendance has continued to rise, so have local revenues and costs. But the growth in revenues has not kept pace with the growth in costs. Thus a critical gap remains between expenditure needs and the revenues being generated locally to meet them. State and Federal aid, while increasing, have not grown sufficiently to close the gap. For the organizations studied by the Committee, this condition is virtually uniform throughout the country. |