^Well, John Bender might disagree - look what happened to him when he spilled paint on the garage floor. Or was that a cigar?  :?

Kids, I said it doesn't affect other people's health as directly. The very act of lighting up a cigarette in others' presence forces them to breathe toxic fumes. Not quite the same situation as drinking.

alright, lets stop splitting hairs.

 

tobacco: bad

alcohol: bad in a different way, but still bad.

Kids, I said it doesn't affect other people's health as directly. The very act of lighting up a cigarette in others' presence forces them to breathe toxic fumes. Not quite the same situation as drinking.

 

I agree with Pope that we can agree to disagree. I do understand the health concerns in second handsmoke. However, I think the health and safety of people are directly compromised when they encounter a drunk driver on the road or put in an abusive domestic setting due to alcohol. In fact, the effects of this compromising health and safety issue are much more immediate - and direct - than the health and safety issues posed by cigarette smoke. Not to mention that it is easier to for an individual to curb their exposure to cigarette smoke; like avoiding bars or places where people frequently smoke, as opposed to avoiding roadways and households where drunkards can harm an unknowing individual.

I hope this passes, Cleveland has some of the most amazing museums in the world!  If this doesn't pass I'm confident the museums will continue to operate at world class level!

Well there are some institutitons in jepordy, but The Cleveland Museum of Art is in good shape. The CMA and Smithsonian are the only two museum institutions in the country that have the highest credit rating. Many cultural instittutions in Cleveland are heavily endowed.

I think Cleveland's strong arts and culture heritage will stay intact regardless of the levy, but the cultural institutions in our county really do face some pretty serious financial situations. A recent study conducted by the Community Partnership for Arts and Culture examined the financial data of 86 arts and culture organizations in Cuyahoga County. In 2001, 19 were running a deficit. By 2004, that number had ballooned to 46 (more than half!). And contrary to popular opinion, many of the larger organizations have increasingly faced year-end deficits. The number of deficits increased for organizations with budgets under $500,000, $500,000 - $1,000,000, $1,000,000 - $10,000,000, and $10,000,000 - $20,000,000; only organizations with budgets larger than $20,000,000 (and we only have 3) escaped this trend. In 2002, the sector AS A WHOLE (including all 86 organizations) had a collective deficit of more than $12 million.

 

Meanwhile, many of the larger organizations drew from their permanently restricted funds to escape operating at a deficit. While they have large endowments, they're now having to dip into the endowment base itself, rather than just the interest that the endowments create.

 

Report after report and article after article have highlighted how local arts and culture organizations have been innovative in generating new revenue and cutting expenses, but rapidly escalating costs, together with stagnant revenue, has left the sector pretty vulnerable.

 

If Issue 18 fails, I think the sector will go on. But we may see some pretty major losses.

Where there's art, culture, there's smoke

Wednesday, October 25, 2006

Carolyn Jack

Plain Dealer Arts Reporter

 

Like any other ballot question, Issue 18 is drawing a range of reactions from the public.

 

Article Removed

If Issue 18 fails, I think the sector will go on. But we may see some pretty major losses.

 

I agree with this statement, and I think arts and culture should have some public assistance. However, there are some problems with the revenue sought from cigarettes. First of all, it is a fairly narrow segment of the population. Secondly, I don't consider this a dependable revenue stream since less and less people smoke; it will only mean further guaging addicted smokers (mostly lower income people). Thirdly, there is some kind of hypocrisy revealed in the majority advocating for a smoking ban and trying to get revenue from cigarettes at the same time.

 

question, which may have already been discussed, but is the tax only on cigs or is it on all tobacco related products?

that's a good question, and I don't know. From all the press it sounds just like cigarettes.

question, which may have already been discussed, but is the tax only on cigs or is it on all tobacco related products?

 

good question, by the wording on their website it seems as if only cigarettes will be taxed, which seems odd.

 

Of note, they never responded to my inqury about their comment "By law, cigarettes provide the only other allowable taxable item that can provide enough revenue to sustain our Arts & Culture assets." With me aluding to my point about alcohol taxes.

 

I figured at least some intern could have shot off that email I wrote over two weeks ago.

I don't know what your full inquiry was, Pope, but I can say that the ORC does have very stringent requirements regarding what items can be taxed on behalf of arts and culture. The language in Ohio Revised Code Sec. 3381 limits such levies to counties of a certain population, to tobacco-related tax levies and to a maximum millage rate.

that's kinda of an answer I was looking for 8shades, especially since they provide absolutley no real info to be revealed from a cursory search.

 

still I would have espected an answer from the citing the ORC.

 

thanks.

"I figured at least some intern could have shot off that email I wrote over two weeks ago."

 

Oh come on - one of Cleveland's vaunted organizations NOT responding to email? Surely you jest! ;)

"I figured at least some intern could have shot off that email I wrote over two weeks ago."

 

Oh come on - one of Cleveland's vaunted organizations NOT responding to email? Surely you jest! ;)

 

you right, my expectations are way to high.

WOO-HOO!!

ahh, political cash grabs still do work, coming up with a bandaid for the problem, rather than actually fixing the issue (see also: Issue 3)

This just in at the PD: "The sky is falling! The sky is falling!"

 

Retailers fret, fume, as cigarette tax hits today

Leila Atassi

(Cleveland) Plain Dealer

February 1, 2007

For smoke shop owners and cigarette retailers across Cuyahoga County, this is the day of reckoning.

 

Issue 18, which increased taxes on cigarettes by 30 cents a pack countywide, goes into effect today. That meant that more than 1,600 cigarette vendors spent Wednesday night taking inventory and fretting that the price increase could devastate their businesses ...

 

... More at http://www.cleveland.com/plaindealer/stories/index.ssf?/base/isope/117033476494910.xml&coll=2

Is it just me, or does it seem a bit crazy that cigarette smokers would drive to another county to buy cigarettes to avoid paying 30 extra cents?  Too bad it couldnt have been coupled with an additional gas tax.

Is it just me, or does it seem a bit crazy that cigarette smokers would drive to another county to buy cigarettes to avoid paying 30 extra cents?  Too bad it couldnt have been coupled with an additional gas tax.

 

I could see if you're buying in bulk, it would be worth it. UO smokers, what are your purchasing habits?

I typically purchase, by the pack, at the BP on Superior Avenue. I very rarely buy in bulk, as I've noticed that I smoke a lot more often when I have a lot more cigarettes on hand. The only time I would ever consider buying cigarettes outside of the county would be when traveling (although cigarettes are still more expensive in many areas than they will be here) and when I go to a doctor's appointment in Lake County. I imagine this will have the greatest impact on people who live on the county edge. For me, the cigarette tax will have a much smaller impact on my consumption and purchase habits than the smoking ban has.

 

 

HEADLINE:

"County Cigarette Tax Promotes Urban Sprawl"

This certainly validates developing at least 100,000 square feet of cigarette retailers in surrounding counties.  Now I can get behind that new interchange in Avon and the big retail development in Boston Heights!

^I had heard that downtown planners had envisioned a giant 'cigarette mart' that would have been attached to a new convention center. Now with this tax, forget about it.

no change here.

 

I'm still upset about this cheap two-bit, cash grab politicking by the arts community.

 

How about you fix the goddamn problem instead putting a band-aid on it for 10 years?

As a smoker, I will continue to buy the same amount of smokes from the same places as I have been. Those who suggest (such as the PD) that a tax will noticeably alter smokers' buying habits doesn't understand smoking and smokers. We're addicted. There's nothing rational about what we're doing anyway!

^^ Understand your point Pope, but at least one positive sign is that the major local foundations have signaled that a) they will maintain their current level of support to arts and culture organizations and b) a much larger proportion of the funds they distribute will be aimed at strengthening the organizations' abilities to strategically advance their operations. Given the dire economic situation many of these organizations have faced in the last several years, the foundations have been able to do little more than provide the organizations life support. Hopefully, now they will be able to help the organizations shore up their finances, invest in infrastructure, develop new audiences, collaborate to cut overhead expenses, etc.

Right now - living in Oxford - I drive ten minutes to Indiana and buy cartons of Marlboro Lights for about $30. When I come home though, I'm in Lorain County enough that I'll probably buy them there.

Where have you been, Vulpster?

i still say beer tax, much larger pool of money to be had!

I've been lurking, but I'm still alive, well and smoking.

Cuyahoga Arts + Culture (CAC) today released <a href="http://www.cuyahogaartsandculture.org/CAC_Guidelines.pdf">guidelines</a> and <a href="http://www.cuyahogaartsandculture.org/CAC_Application.pdf">application forms</a> for its General Operating Support (GOS) Grant program and announced locations for a series of <a href="http://www.cuyahogaartsandculture.org/Events.html">grant workshops</a> for organizations to learn about eligibility and the application process.

 

General Operating Support grants are the first grants to be offered by CAC. Designed to invest public funds in local arts or cultural organizations, GOS grants are awarded for a period of three years, with requisite annual review and evaluation by CAC staff.

 

“These grants are specifically for arts or cultural organizations located in Cuyahoga County that have a history of quality artistic or cultural programming, professional management, financial stability and long range planning,” said Catherine Boyle, Executive Director of CAC. “The guidelines explain the purpose of the grants, the eligibility requirements and the application process.”

 

Basic eligibility required by Ohio law and CAC By-laws are that an applicant organization must be not-for-profit, must be located in Cuyahoga County, must have been in existence for at least three years and must have a primary mission to create, produce, present or provide arts or cultural programming to the public.

 

Those organizations that do not meet GOS eligibility requirements may be eligible to apply for other CAC grants that will be announced later this year. Those organizations that receive GOS support will not be eligible to apply for other CAC grants.

 

“Using public dollars received from the passage of Issue 18 last November, we are proud CAC is the first regional arts and cultural district in Ohio that has successfully passed, through voter approval, a dedicated revenue stream for arts and culture. Our world-class arts and cultural organizations are a real plus to our region because they help our children grow and succeed, provide thousands of good paying jobs and attract hundreds of thousands of visitors to our region,” said Steven Minter, President of the Board of Trustees of CAC.

 

Eligible organizations interested in applying are strongly encouraged to attend at least one workshop. Additional information, including the General Operating Support Grant guidelines and application forms is available at <a href="http://www.cuyahogaartsandculture.org/">http://www.cuyahogaartsandculture.org</a> .

 

The Cuyahoga County Commissioners established Cuyahoga Arts + Culture (CAC), a Regional Arts and Culture District and a political subdivision with the State of Ohio, in June 2005.

 

In November, 2006, voters in Cuyahoga County approved a tax on cigarettes to fund arts and culture in Cuyahoga County through Cuyahoga Arts + Culture. The Cuyahoga County Commissioners appointed a board of three trustees to govern Cuyahoga Arts + Culture, effective April 1, 2007.

 

By law, all power and authority of CAC is vested in its Board of Trustees. Currently serving as the Board of Trustees are: Steven Minter, President; Santina Protopapa, Vice President; and, David Bergholz, Secretary.

 

A primary purpose of Cuyahoga Arts + Culture, established by the Board of Trustees by adoption of CAC By laws in April 2007, is to make matching grants to support the operating expenses of Cuyahoga County’s arts or cultural organizations whose primary missions are to create, produce, present or provide services to the public.

 

To continue to receive communications from CAC, please register on the CAC website <a href="http://www.cuyahogaartsandculture.org/email.html">http://www.cuyahogaartsandculture.org/email.html</a>

From the Free Times:

 

Chatter

THE SMOKE CLEARS

Volume 15, Issue 20

Published September 19th, 2007

 

Cuyahoga Arts and Culture - ministers of the cigarette tax for the arts - recently announced public meeting dates during which the pool of eligible applicants for public funding in the agency's operating support program will be graded to see if they get any money. Largest among the organizations was the Cleveland Orchestra, with an annual budget of $41 million, followed closely by the Cleveland Museum of Art and Playhouse Square. Smallest to meet all the requirements was the West Side's Joyful Noise Music School, with a budget just under $25,000. Slightly over one-third of the organizations had budgets smaller than $200,000 ...

 

... More at http://www.freetimes.com/stories/15/20/taxi-taxi

 

Today was the first day of adjudication of general operating support proposals. This will likely be the most substantial of Cuyahoga Arts & Culture's grant programs (although the CAC board has not made a final determination regarding how much to devote to each of the programs yet). Organizations that received a score of 75 or higher (based on average scores from a panel of out-of-state arts and culture professionals) will be recommended for three years of funding. Scores are listed on the website below.

 

http://64.130.4.120/cuyahoga.arts.and.culture.news.room.php?id=13

 

The panel process will conclude tomorrow.

if they get the ferry to canada going because its international maybe there could could a tax free mini-mall attached to it like airports have? tax free schmokes.

Nearly 70 arts groups approved for Issue 18 money

October 18, 2007

Karen Sandstrom

Plain Dealer Reporter

 

A big chunk of money raised by Cuyahoga County's Issue 18 cigarette tax will help pay general operating expenses for 68 newly approved arts and cultural organizations for the next three years.

 

The tax, 1.5 cents per cigarette, is expected to bring in about $17 million this year, the first year it's being collected, and perhaps less than that annually over the decade-long life of the tax as the number of cigarette consumers declines ...

 

... More information at http://blog.cleveland.com/reviews/2007/10/nearly_70_arts_groups_approved.html

does this make me a donor to the museums and other institutions now?

 

Get ready to have your mailbox filled with solicitations if that's the case :roll:

^ha.

 

Well i was thinking that next time i walk into the museum and they have the donation  box, i'll just drop a pack of cigarettes in it.

thanks for the great idea!

Cuyahoga Art and Culture (CAC) Issues First Grants:

68 Groups to Benefit from $15 million

 

Cuyahoga Arts and Culture (CAC) announced today that it is awarding $15 million in General Operating Support (GOS) grants to 68 arts and cultural organizations located in the district. These are the first grants issued by CAC, which formed in April, 2007.  The organizations are from communities throughout Cuyahoga County and represent a diverse group of arts and cultural disciplines and budget sizes. 

 

CAC’s Board of Trustees approved the grants on November 30 a special meeting of its board ...

 

... More at http://64.130.4.120/cuyahoga.arts.and.culture.news.room.php?id=17

my taxes are supporting those ukranians?

 

That's it, I quit!

On behalf of all of the recipients, I would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to all you smokers.

On behalf of all of the recipients, I would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to all you smokers.

 

Wow, I never knew that Mu****tello was Ukranian?!

:-D

Wow, those organizations are receiving a lot of money. Sure hope that they spend it well. I'd like to see the PD do an article on what they are spending it on. It would be nice to know all the good things that a few more cents on a package of cigarettes can buy a region.

honestly, there's a a few of the smaller organiztions that I was like, "okay, good for them!" (Karamu House, Arts Collinwood), but then I see some of the big non-profits........Rock and Roll HOF? The Science Center?

 

I'm not saying its any easier for a big Non-Prof to raise money than a smaller Organization, but I just don't feel its in the spirit of this tax...

 

 

Oh well, off to the Q!

Cuyahoga Arts and Culture prepares to distribute cigarette tax funds

Wednesday, December 05, 2007

Karen Sandstrom, Plain Dealer Reporter

 

Cuyahoga Arts and Culture will distribute $15 million to nonprofit arts and cultural organizations in each of the next three years.

 

Officials for the agency, which was created to administer the cigarette tax approved by Cuyahoga County voters last year, say they expect the tax will draw $19 million this year and next year and about $17.5 million in 2009 ...

 

More at http://www.cleveland.com/plaindealer/stories/index.ssf?/base/entertainment-0/1196847437226460.xml&coll=2

Grants from cigarette tax revenues likely within a year

Wednesday, December 12, 2007

 

Some Cuyahoga County artists and performers will likely get their hands on a chunk of the county's cigarette-tax money within a year.

 

Trustees for Cuyahoga Arts and Culture, the agency created to administer the tax of 1.5 cents per cigarette, met Tuesday and said they expect to have a plan for doling out about $500,000 in grants to individual artists by late 2008 ...

 

... More at http://www.cleveland.com/plaindealer/stories/index.ssf?/base/entertainment-0/1197452598280820.xml&coll=2