As you may have read here earlier, at the last minute, the State of Pennsylvania has snuck a performing arts and museum tax that would add 8% for tickets purchased in the city and 6% for those purchased outside into House Bill 1828. And for about a week and a half now, arts organizations have been recoiling and rallying the troops to have the provision struck. But the single largest effort seems to have come just a few hours ago. In an email blast to thousands, Norman Keyes, Jr., Director of Communications for the Philadelphia Museum of Art, has reached out and detailed, in no uncertain terms, the threat the tax presents and — perhaps more importantly — what the average Joe can do to fight it. In the email, Keyes attacks the numbers behind the tax, and goes on to say that, especially in the case of PMA, the tax itself is “anti-education,” a charge that should sting the “family values”-steep PA GOP house. The email, in full, is after the jump.

September 2009

Dear friend,
This is an urgent appeal to citizens concerned about the arts in Pennsylvania. While enormous thanks are due to everyone who has spoken out against the harmful proposal to tax the arts, our work together is not nearly done.
Final negotiations in Harrisburg over an arts tax are already well underway and the proposal will be subjected to a vote of the legislature shortly. If you have not written to voice your protest, please do so today. If you have written, please write again. Your voice can have an enormous impact on elected officials and can help defeat this immensely unfortunate proposal that is taking shape in the state capital.
We encourage you to express your opposition to the arts tax and make the following points:

The numbers don’t add up! This tax will reduce attendance and erode the economic impact of the arts! The nonprofit arts organizations of Pennsylvania support 36,000 jobs and generate $1.99 billion annually in economic activity, concludes the respected research of Americans for the Arts. The Philadelphia Museum of Art alone generated $242 million in economic activity in fiscal year 2008, supporting 3,200 jobs and $17.9 million in tax revenues for the City and Commonwealth.

Taxing memberships makes no sense: Nonprofit museums and zoos depend on charitable giving to fund their programs and activities. It makes no sense for Pennsylvania to impose a tax on memberships and other charitable donations that are tax-deductible under federal guidelines.

This is no “Madonna Tax”: Proponents of the tax frame this as a “Madonna Tax,” an assertion that suggests a misunderstanding of the important public service that charitable organizations provide.

This is an anti-education tax: It is unfair that a family would be required to pay tax to enroll their children in a class at a museum, but then be able to purchase candy tax-free. Taxing attendance and membership at the nonprofit museums, zoos, performing arts venues, and science institutions that nurture our children’s educational growth is unfair when smokeless tobacco gets a free ride.

We need your support now more than ever. You will see below the e-mail addresses of state legislators and senators who need to hear from you. Prepare your letter on your own stationery and send it as an attachment by e-mail.
Thank you for taking action.

Sincerely,
Norman Keyes, Jr.
Director of Communications
Philadelphia Museum of Art

Contacts for Advocacy Letters:
2009 PA Conference Committee (on the budget):
The Honorable Dominic Pileggi
Senate of Pennsylvania
Senate Box 203009, 350 Capitol Building
Harrisburg, PA 17120-3009
email: dpileggi@pasen.gov
Chester and Delaware Counties
717-787-4712
The Honorable Jake Corman
Senate of Pennsylvania
Senate Box 203034, 281 Main Capitol
Harrisburg, PA 17120-3034
email: jcorman@pasen.gov
Centre and Juniata Counties
717-787-1377
The Honorable Jay Costa Jr.
Senate of Pennsylvania
Senate Box 203043, 545 Main Capitol
Harrisburg, PA 17120-3043
email: costa@pasenate.com
Allegheny
717-787-7683
The Honorable Dwight Evans
House of Representatives
512 Main Capitol Building, PO Box 202203
Harrisburg, PA 17120-2203
email: DEvans@pahouse.net
Philadelphia County
717-783-1540
The Honorable Todd A. Eachus
House of Representatives
110 Main Capitol Building, PO Box 202116
Harrisburg, PA 17120-2116
email: TEachus@pahouse.net
Luzerne County
717-787-2229
The Honorable Keith R. McCall
House of Representatives
139 Main Capitol Building, PO Box 202122
Harrisburg, PA 17120-2116
email: kmccall@pahouse.net
Carbon County
717-783-1375
The Honorable Samuel H. Smith
House of Representatives
423 Main Capitol Building, PO Box 202066
Harrisburg, PA 17120-2066
email: ssmith@pahousegop.com
Indiana and Jefferson Counties
717-787-3845

The Museum’s State Senator and Representative:
The Honorable Lawrence M. Farnese Jr.
Senate of Pennsylvania
Senate Box 203001, 458 Main Capitol Building
Harrisburg, PA 17120-3001
email: lfarnese@pasenate.com
717-787-5662
The Honorable Frank Oliver
House of Representatives
2839 West Girard Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19130
215-684-3738
email: foliver@pahouse.net
Philadelphia County
717-787-3480

This entry was posted on Wednesday, September 30th, 2009 at 1:21 pm.