>>>
>>> WCNC
>>> WCNC TV CHARLOTTE. THIS IS FLASHPOINT WHERE POWER AND POLITICS COLLIDE.
>> THANK YOU FOR JOINING ME
HERE ON FLASHPOINT, I AM DAVID
THOMPSON.
VOTERS HERE IN MECKLENBURG
COUNTY WILL DECIDE IF THEY WANT
TO RAISE THE SALES TAX.
THE QUARTER CENT SALES TAX WOULD
CREATE $50 MILLION A YEAR.
WE TALKED ABOUT IT A LOT BUT
LET'S BREAK IT DOWN ONE MORE
TIME TO SHOW YOU WHERE THE
MONEY WOULD GO.
THEY SAY THEY WOULD ALLOCATE 35
% OF THE ARTS, 34 % OF PARKS
AND GREENWAYS, 16 % EDUCATION,
5 % WOULD GO TO TOWNS FOR ARTS
AND PARKS PROJECTS.
PART OF THE MONEY IS BELIEVED
TO BE USED IN MUCH BETTER WAYS
FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
IT WILL ALSO MAX OUT THE CITIES
ABILITY TO MAX OUT THE SALES
TAX.
THERE IS NO GUARANTEE THAT CITY
LEADERS WILL USE IT THE WAY THE
CURRENT COMMISSIONERS SAY THEY
WILL.
TO MY RIGHT IS PAT KAUFMAN,
FORMER COMMISSIONER AND FELICIA
McDOWELL, THE BOARD CHAIR AT
THE ARTS AND SCIENCE COUNSEL.
WE TALKED ABOUT THIS ISSUE LAST
WEEK, WE TALKED ABOUT HOW A
GROUP OF BIPARTISAN PEOPLE CAN
AGREE OR DISAGREE WITHOUT
BREAKING ALONG PARTISAN LINES.
LET'S BEGIN WITH YOU AS A
MEMBER OF THE ARTS COUNCIL.
WHY IS SOMETHING LIKE THIS AS
YOU SEE IT SO IMPORTANT?
>> WE TALK ABOUT IT A LOT IN THE
COMMUNITY.
THE CULTURAL COMMUNITY AND
CULTURAL SISTER IS AT A
CROSSROADS, WE NEED THIS MONEY.
PEOPLE SAY WHY DON'T YOU DO
THIS IN FIVE YEARS OR THREE
YEARS.
EVERYONE KNOWS WHEN YOU GET TO
A PLACE WHERE YOU NEED TO PIVOT
BECAUSE YOU ARE OUT OF MONEY,
THAT IS THE TIME WHEN YOU
ELEVATE THOSE CONCERNS.
WE HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS
NEED OVER MANY YEARS. I FIRST
STARTED APPEARING ON TELOGEN ON
TELEVISION TALKING ABOUT THE
TASK FORCE FOR WORK WAS
COMPLETED AND THAT HAD
APPOINTED FROM THE CITY COUNCIL
AND COUNTY COMMISSION.
I KNOW, PAT, YOU APPOINTED
WAYNE PARIS TO THAT GROUP AND I
LET THAT GROUP AND IT WAS AT
THAT TIME IN 2014 WHERE WE SAID
WE ARE GOING TO NEED A LONG-
TERM SUSTAINABILITY CHANGE FOR
THE SECTOR AND WE HAVE
RECOMMENDED A NUMBER OF
DIFFERENT DEDICATED REVENUE
STRINGS TO PRECLUDE A POTENTIAL
SALES TAX.
WHEN PEOPLE SAY WE JUST STARTED
TALKING ABOUT THIS, WE HAVE
BEEN TALKING ABOUT IT FOR MANY
YEARS BUT WE ARE VOTING ON IT
NOW BECAUSE THE NEED IS NOW.
>> I WANT TO GET TO THE ACTUAL
ISSUE OF THE SALES TAX BUT I'M
INTERESTED, WHY ARE WE AT THIS
POINT?
WHY IS IT SUDDENLY SO DYER NOW?
>> THERE ARE TWO REASONS.
NUMBER ONE, THERE ARE ENTROPY,
PHILANTHROPY HAS CHANGED BUT IT
IS VERY DIRECTED AT A SMALL
NUMBER OF VERY LARGE
INSTITUTIONS THAT HAVE THE
RESOURCES TO HAVE FULL
DEVELOPMENT STAFF.
BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH
THAT OPERATIONAL DOLLARS THAT
ARE REALLY SERVING A LOT OF OUR
FOLKS AT THE NEIGHBORHOOD
LEVEL, THEY DON'T HAVE DEVELOP
STAFF, THEY CAN'T GET THAT
MONEY SO THEY ARE NOT GETTING
ACCESS TO WHAT THEY NEED.
SO THAT IS ALL A PART OF
WORKPLACE GIVING AND ALSO JUST
CORPORATE PHILOSOPHY AROUND
GIVING CHANGING.
BUT WE HAVE ALWAYS HAD A PUBLIC
PARTNERSHIP HERE IN CHARLOTTE
AND A LOT OF OTHER COMMUNITIES
FIND THEIR CULTURAL SECTORS
WITH MUCH MORE PUBLIC FUNDING
THAN WE HAVE EVER HAD AND SO IN
SOME WAYS THAT HAS SERVED US
WELL FOR A VERY LONG TIME BUT
YOU SORT OF LIVE AND DIE BY THAT
. HAVING THAT HEAVY PUBLIC AND
PRIVATE DONATIONS MEANS THAT
WHAT WE ARE INVESTING IN IS
WHAT THOSE PARTICULAR PRIVATE
DONORS WANTED US TO INVEST IN.
AGAIN, THAT'S BEEN A LOT OF
LARGE INSTITUTIONS, LESS
INVESTMENT IN SMALLER
INSTITUTIONS AND NEIGHBORHOOD
FUNDING AN INDIVIDUAL ARTIST.
TO DO THAT WE NEED PUBLIC
DOLLARS TO ACCOMPLISH THAT.
>> ALL RIGHT, PAT.
>> I DISAGREE, I AM A ARTS
SUPPORTER AND I HAVE BEEN A
TRUSTEE OF THE BLUMENTHAL FOR
20 YEARS, I HAVE BEEN
ASSOCIATED WITH THE BLUMENTHAL
ON THEIR ASSOCIATION COMMITTEE
SINCE 2002.
I TAKE MY GRANDCHILDREN TO
PLAYS, I AM AN ART SUPPORTER.
I HAVE BEEN ON THE ARTS AND
SCIENCE COUNSEL AS WELL.
BUT, AND I HAVE, I APPRECIATE
WHAT SHE SAYS ABOUT WE HAVE
BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS BUT I
DON'T THINK, WE HAVE BEEN
TALKING ABOUT A LOT OF OTHER
THINGS IN THE COMMUNITY LIKE
AFFORDABLE HOUSING, ECONOMIC
MOBILITY SINCE WE CAME IN LAST
IN 2014.
THE COMMUNITY HAS BEEN TALKING
ABOUT THAT.
SO I AM VERY MUCH AGAINST THIS.
I DON'T THINK IT'S THE RIGHT
TIME OR THE MECHANISM OF THIS
TAX. I THINK IT IS NOT
GUARANTEED. I KEEP SAYING THAT.
NONE OF THESE THINGS ARE BEING
SAID AND CERTAINLY THE
FORESIGHT HAS CHANGED. ON THE
WAY OVER HERE THIS MORNING I
HEARD ANOTHER COMMERCIAL WHERE
THEY DON'T EVEN MENTION THE
ARTS.
THEY MENTION GREENWAYS, OUR
KIDS, OUR COMMUNITY.
THEY'RE NOT EVEN TALKING ABOUT
THE ARTS WHICH IS GETTING THE
BIGGEST AMOUNT OF MONEY SO I
FEEL THAT IS VERY DISINGENUOUS.
BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, I THINK
THE PUBLIC DESERVES BETTER.
THEY DESERVE TO REALLY KNOW
EXACTLY WHAT THIS IS AND
THERE'S A LOT OF MISINFORMATION
BECAUSE IT'S BEEN A VERY
EXPENSIVE CAMPAIGN.
>> AS A DEMOCRAT YOU ARE
GETTING SOME FLAK ON THIS.
AS A REPUBLICAN YOU GUYS AGREE
ON THE ISSUE.
>> WE DO.
WE ARE BOTH A COURSE OPPOSED TO
THIS SALES TAX.
WHAT I FOUND REALLY FULFILLING
ABOUT WORKING AGAINST THIS TAX
INCREASE IS I HAD THE
OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH PEOPLE
WHO NORMALLY I WOULDN'T AGREE
WITH THEM ON 90 % OF THE ISSUES
BUT WE ALL AGREE THAT THIS TAX
AT THIS TIME FOR THIS INTENDED
PURPOSE IS THE WRONG DIRECTION
FOR THE COMMUNITY.
BECAUSE WE GOT OTHER PRIORITIES
, WE HAVE AN AFFORDABLE HOUSING
CRISIS THAT EVERYONE AGREES IS
A PROBLEM IN MECKLENBURG
COUNTY.
EARLIER THIS YEAR FOR THE
SECOND OR THIRD YEAR IN A ROAD
IN A ROW MECKLENBURG COUNTY,
THAT IS THE NUMBER ONE ISSUE
FACING US TODAY.
ANOTHER THING WOULD BE
TRANSPORTATION, THAT'S ANOTHER
ISSUE A LOT OF FOLKS SAY IS
IMPORTANT.
THE CITY RIGHT NOW IS
CONSIDERING EXPANDING THE
SILVER LINE WHICH WOULD BE
TRANSFORMATIVE AND THEN WE
WOULD HAVE PEOPLE WHO ARE
WORKING TWO OR THREE JOBS BEING
ABLE TO TAKE A LIGHT RAIL TO
GET TO WORK IN 30-40 MINUTES
INSTEAD OF BUS CONNECTIONS AND
MISSING OUT ON TIME WITH THEIR
FAMILIES. WHILE I HAVE NOT YET
MET ANYONE WHO IS OPPOSED TO
THE ARTS, JUST LAST NIGHT MY
WIFE AND I WENT TO SEE LES
MISERABLES, I HAVE NOT MET
ANYONE OPPOSED TO THE ARTS BUT
I HAVE CERTAINLY MET MANY
PEOPLE OPPOSED TO THIS TAX FOR
THIS INTENDED PURPOSE.
>> I'M GETTING DOUBLE TO DOUBLE
TEAMED HERE.
WE ARE NOT HIDING THAT THIS IS
GOING TO BENEFIT THE ARTS. WE
ARE TALKING ABOUT IT CONSTANTLY
AND A COUPLE OF THINGS ABOUT
THAT.
THE WAY THAT YOU MENTION YOU
WENT TO LIMITS.
THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE IN
OUR COMMUNITY THAT CAN'T AFFORD
TO DO THAT.
WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO DO IS
BRING ARTS AND CULTURE CAN
INCREASE THE ACCESS, BRING IT
INTO NEIGHBORHOODS SO YOU DON'T
HAVE TO HAVE THE MEANS TO BE
ABLE TO GO UP TO BLUMENTHAL FOR
EVERYONE IN OUR COMMUNITY CAN
BENEFIT NUMBER ONE.
NUMBER TWO, IN TERMS OF OTHER
PRIORITIES, WE ARE AGREEING
THAT THERE ARE OTHER
PRIORITIES.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE VERY LONG
LIST OF ENDORSE THESE THAT HAVE
COME OUT IN FAVOR OF THIS TAX
AND THE PEOPLE WHO FIND THAT
ENDORSEMENT LIST, REPUBLICANS
AND DEMOCRATS, THE REASON WE
ARE DOING IT IS NOT BECAUSE WE
THINK ARTS AND CULTURE IS MORE
IMPORTANT THAN AFFORDABLE
HOUSING OR TRANSIT OR HEALTH
AND HUMAN SERVICES.
BUT WE BELIEVE IT IS ONE TOOL
IN OUR TOOLBOX TO HELP US SOLVE
SOME PROBLEMS.
THERE IS A $1.9 BILLION BUDGET.
OF THAT $1.9 BILLION, $2
MILLION GOES TO ART AND
CULTURE.
THE OVERWHELMING MAJORITY GOES
TO THE CRITICAL NEEDS.
THE CITY HAS A $2.6 BILLION
BUDGET, RIGHT?
TOGETHER THAT IS $4.5 BILLION.
WE ARE TALKING ABOUT $22.5
MILLION GOING TO OUR ARTS AND
CULTURE.
WHAT WILL THAT GET US IN OUR
COMMUNITY?
IT HELPS TO ADDRESS SOME OF OUR
ECONOMIC MOBILITY ISSUES WITH
KIDS.
THERE IS A NATIONAL STUDY BY
THE NEA THAT SAYS IF YOU TAKE
LOW INCOME KIDS AT RISK, YOU
DON'T CHANGE ANYTHING ELSE
ABOUT THEIR CIRCUMSTANCES, YOU
EXPOSE THEM TO A LOT OF HIGH-
QUALITY ART AND EDUCATION, THEY
ARE FIVE TIMES MORE LIKELY TO
GRADUATE FROM HIGH SCHOOL.
THEY ARE 3 TIMES MORE LIKELY TO
GRADUATE FROM COLLEGE.
THEY ARE MORE LIKELY TO
GRADUATE WITH BETTER GRADES.
THIS IS ONE WAY.
WE ARE NOT GOING TO FIX
EVERYTHING WITH THIS, BUT IF WE
WANT TO BE IN THIS WORK WE NEED
TO BE ABLE TO ADDRESS THESE
ISSUES WITH MULTIPLE TOOLS IN
THE TOOLBOX.
>> I WANT TO FOLLOW UP ON THAT
AND SOME OF THE THINGS YOU
SAID.
ON THE OTHER SIDE WE WILL
CONTINUE THIS CONVERSATION.
AS WE GO TO BREAK IT'S WORTH
MENTIONING THIS WEEK WE SAY
GOODBYE TO SENATOR KAY HAGAN.
SHE WORKED HER WAY THROUGH, UP
TO COUNTY POLITICS AND THE
GENERAL ASSEMBLY TO BECOME THE
FIRST FEMALE DEMOCRAT IN THE
U.S. SENATE.
SHE WAS A FIGHTER TOO.
HER TWO RACES WERE FARMERS AND
THEN HER RACE BECAME THE MOST
EXPENSIVE SENATE RACE IN THE
COUNTRY. HER HEALTH HAS
WEAKENED OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS
CAUSED BY A TICK BITE BUT SHE'S
ALWAYS A FIGHTER.
SHE WAS LAUGHING JUST A WEEK
AGO AT THE