The Massachusetts House Ways and Means Committee recently recommended slashing the Massachusetts Cultural Council’s (MCC) annual budget by 28%, from $14 million to $10 million. Every year, one or another draconian measure to cut funding comes up, and those who believe that their life is better from arts exposure have to fight for that view. The process is like an annual tooth extraction.

“We like to pride ourselves that Massachusetts is the most cultured state in the country, that the arts are a form of ‘common wealth,’ as good for business as for our own wellbeing. And yet how shockingly low we rank in our support for public higher education and arts funding,” bemoaned Lloyd Schwartz, local Pulitzer Prize-winning classical critic. “The Massachusetts Cultural Council provides crucial support both for our arts groups and for talented individual artists, and now—once again—the House Ways and Means Committee is threatening to cut a big chunk of MCC’s funding. Will we ever get our priorities right?”

The Massachusetts legislative delegation does have serious advocates for the arts. Prominent among them is Representative Cory Atkins (D-Concord), co-chair of the Joint Committee on Tourism, Arts and Cultural Development, who is sponsoring an amendment to reverse the proposed cut. Atkins has been one of the most important members of the House for liberal causes since she won the seat in a special election of 1999. Also supportive are Senator Eric P. Lesser (D-Longmeadow), co-chair with Atkins of the joint committee, and Rep. William Smitty Pignatelli (D-Lenox), the House vice-chair of that committee, who also serves on the Ways and Means Committee. However, although the interests that the other HWMC members address are highly worthy ones like education, rights for the disabled, prison reform, and public health, the arts do not seem prominent among them.

Those of us who feel we cannot live without life-enhancing exposure to musical performances, plays, art exhibitions and similar pleasures are now called on to help rectify the misguided funding cuts under consideration. We must contact the members of the legislature and lobby to restore funding for the numerous small cultural organizations and individual artists in Massachusetts dependent on it.

This plea is echoed by Anita Walker, head of MCC. “Every year, the state government puts us through this hoop to maintain adequate funding for the arts, so please join me in sending a strong message to the legislators.”

To send messages to members of the Massachusetts House Ways and Mean Committee in support of Rep. Atkins’s amendment to the proposed budget, BMInt readers can either use the link Action Center or contact them directly. Those in bold, from a cursory look at their careers, may be more sympathetic:

Brian S Dempsey, Chair (D-Haverhill) Brian.Dempsey@mahouse.gov, 617-722-2990

Stephen Kulik, Vice Chair (D-Worthington/ Haydenville), Stephen.Kulik@mahouse.gov, 617-722-2380

Benjamin Swan, Vice-Chair (D-Springfield) Benkamin.Swan@mahouse.gov, 617-722-2380

Angelo Scaccia (D-Readville) Angelo.Scaccia@mahouse.gov, 617-722-2060

Gloria Fox (D-Roxbury) Gloria.Fox@mahouse.gov, 617-722-2810

Robert M. Koczera (D-New Bedford)  Robert.Koczera@mahouse.gov , 617-722-2582

Ruth B. Balser (D-Newton) Ruth.Balser@mahouse.gov, 617-722-2396

William Smitty Pignatelli (D-Lenox) William.Pignatelli@mahouse.gov, 617-722-2017

Sean Garballey (D-Arlington), Sean.Garballey@mahouse.gov

Carolyn C. Dykema (D-Holliston), Carolyn.Dykema@mahouse.gov

Marcos A. Devers (D-Lawrence), Marcos.Devers@mahouse.gov

Tackey Chan (D-Quincy), Tachey.Chan@mahouse.gov

Michael J Finn (D-West Springfield), Michael.Finn@mahouse.gov

Chris Walsh (D-Framingham), Chris.Walsh@mahouse.gov

Marjorie C. Decker (D-Cambridge), Marjorie.Decker@mahouse.gov

Alan Silvia (D-Fall River),  Alan.Silvia@mahouse.gov

Angelo L. D’Emilia (R-Bridgewater), Angelo.Demilia@mahouse.gov

Kate D. Campanale (R-Leicester), Kate.Campanale@mahouse.gov

Peter J. Durant (R-Spencer), Peter.Durant@mahouse.gov

Donald H. Wong (R-Saugus)s, Donald.Wong@mahouse.gov

James R. Miceli (D-Wilmington), James.Miceli@mahouse.gov

Thomas M. Petrolati (D-Ludlow), Thomas.Petrolati@mahouse.gov

Colleen M. Garry (D-Dracut), Colleen.Garry@mahouse.gov

Thomas M. Stanley (D-Waltham), Thomas.Stanley@mahouse.gov

Linda Dean Campbell (D-Methuen), Linda.Campbell@mahouse.gov

James M. Cantwell (D-Marshfield), James.Cantwell@mahouse.gov

Timothy R. Madden (D-Nantucket), Timothy.Madden@mahouse.gov

Paul Brodeur (D-Melrose), Paul.Brodeur@mahouse.gov

Nick Collins (D-Boston), Nick.Collins@mahouse.gov

Russell E. Holmes (D-Boston), Russell. Holmes@mahouse.gov

Claire D. Cronin (D–Easton), Claire.Cronin@mahouse.gov

Jeffrey N. Roy (D-Franklin), Jeffrey.Roy@mahouse.gov

Todd M. Smola (R-Warren), Todd.Smmola@mahouse.gov

Nicholas A. Boldyga (R-Southwick), Nicholas.Boldyga@mahouse.gov

Shawn Dooley (R-Norfolk), Shawn.Dooley@mahouse.gov

Kimberley N. Ferguson (R-Holden), Kimberly.Ferguson@mahouse.gov

Bettina A. Norton, emerita editor of the Intelligencer, is a retired museum professional. She has published widely in her field, American historical prints, and in later years, was editor and publisher of The Beacon Hill Chronicle. She has been attending classical music concerts “since the waning years of World War II.”