Ottawa property tax goes up 4.9% in 2009. Your stupid arts festival saved.

[Guest Low Roller]

[color:purple]Good times for the City of Ottawa right now.

In a move that canceled something that made perfect sense- cutting arts funding in lieu of the financial crisis to pay for services- city councilors voted instead to raise property tax by almost 5% next year.

Fuck.

[ollie]

Aren't you a starving student that doesn't pay taxes anyway?

[Booche]

How are the bus drivers going to afford when you look at their measily raise?

[Guest Low Roller]

Aren't you a starving student that doesn't pay taxes anyway?

Yeah, but I know people, family, that are struggling to keep their houses as it is, and this 5% hike will not help them.

[Davey Boy 2.0]

how are we even going to get to this arts festival in the first place?!?

[ollie]

Aren't you a starving student that doesn't pay taxes anyway?

Yeah' date=' but I know people, family, that are struggling to keep their houses as it is, and this 5% hike will not help them.[/quote']

It will help the artists struggling to keep their houses though.

[Guest Low Roller]

Two sides to every coin I suppose.

[Booche]

It will help the artists struggling to keep their houses though.

They can get a real job like the rest of us and still find it a struggle.

[jonyak]

Thank god I moved outside of ottawa.

my taxes actualy went down this year.

[Jaimoe]

Is that you Roller masquerading as Harper? Does cutting arts event(s) solve all of Ottawa's house tax problems? From that article, it doesn't look so black-and-white arts wise.

[SaggyBalls]

"Yeah, but I know people, family, that are struggling to keep their houses as it is, and this 5% hike will not help them."

I know everyone likes to bitch about tax hikes, but I thought you were above that...although I never really got to know you.

If anything I expected you to come out with the 'people will be working harder to afford their taxes, and that extra time at work doesn't lend itself to free community festivals'

But a 'same old same old' tax bitch?

c'mon LR. Maybe you and your friends/family have a reason to get together for potlucks and carpooling. What a great excuse to get closer and save some money.

[Davey Boy 2.0]

dude.

[Guest Low Roller]

Is that you Roller masquerading as Harper? Does cutting arts event(s) solve all of Ottawa's house tax problems? From that article, it doesn't look so black-and-white arts wise.

The angle is more of a response to a previous thread when the cuts to arts funding were first proposed and this board was up in arms as if it were the equivalent to shutting down hospitals.

[NewRider]

Dude?? did someone say festy?

[Guest Low Roller]

I know everyone likes to bitch about tax hikes, but I thought you were above that...although I never really got to know you.

Ok, there's a good start.

If anything I expected you to come out with the 'people will be working harder to afford their taxes, and that extra time at work doesn't lend itself to free community festivals'

People will be working harder to afford their taxes and that extra time at work doesn't lend itself to free community festivals whose budgets could have been put to better use in difficult economic times.

But a 'same old same old' tax bitch?

It's not. I'm bitching about city council having their priorities out of alignment, MAINLY to pull a powerplay on the mayor rather than for any other reason like helping to fund the arts.

c'mon LR. Maybe you and your friends/family have a reason to get together for potlucks and carpooling. What a great excuse to get closer and save some money.

We don't roll like that.

[gentlemonkey]

I'm happy to pay the 4%, which is like 100bucks- broken out over 24 mortgage payments, to ensure festivals and community activities are funded enough to take place.

[bouche]

I don't know what that 4.9% will amount to for most people, but gatineau just passed a 2.9% increase to cover improvements, repairs and all those other things that a city needs.

I think it amounts to about $60 in an entire year for an entire household. Tax hikes are inevitable. Where the money ends up will never satisfy everybody. I say tax shmax!

[Birdy]

I don't know much about the city of Ottawa, but are you guys hurting for basic services? Like, is your council not approving monies for things like recycling programs, waste removal, sewer repairs, infrastructure and instead supporting arts festivals? If that were the case, I too would have a reason to bitch about a tax hike aimed at saving an arts festival. I'd then go on to look at how many people attend said festival and what the population of the city of Ottawa is.

[AD]

would you then go and tabulate the tourist dollars spent at these festivals, the money made by workers at the festivals not to mention local performers, the spin-off dollars in the hotel / restuarant / taxi / etc industries, the intangible and priceless (literally) benefits of Culture.......?

[Birdy]

No as i'd probably figure Ottawa would continue to do AOK with or without this particular festival with regards to tourism, and I'd question why the city council would consider this more important than basic services during trying economic times.

[SaggyBalls]

Actually...

In a move that canceled something that made perfect sense- cutting arts funding in lieu of the financial crisis to pay for services-

The first part sets up the atmosphere of what you're complaining about...

city councilors voted instead to raise property tax by almost 5% next year.

And the second part defines what you're complaining about.

A tax bitch. Same old 'cut before you increase' tax bitch.

5%??

Any solutions to people struggling, or are you just here to vent your frustration in your inability to plan for contingency?

[AD]

No as i'd probably figure Ottawa would continue to do AOK with or without this particular festival

well, consider yourself informed now. here's the list of proposed cuts before they were saved.

Arts Service Agreement Program 10% CUTS (Total Cuts $143,724)

* Arts Ottawa East

* Council for the Arts in Ottawa

* La Nouvelle Scène

* Ottawa Arts Court Foundation

* Ottawa School of Art

* Ottawa Art Gallery

* Visual Arts Centre Orleans

* Great Canadian Theatre Company

Arts Funding Program

Three Year Operating 42% CUTS (Total Cuts $563,069)

* A Company of Fools

* Al Arz Lebanese Art Group

* ARC: Canada's National Poetry Magazine

* Artengine

* Baobab Tree Drum Dance Community

* Cantata Singers of Ottawa

* Compagnie Vox Théâtre

* Coro Vivo (formerly Blackburn Chorus)

* Gallery 101 Galerie

* Independent Filmmakers Co-operative of Ottawa

* Kiwanis Music Festival

* Les Éditions l'Interligne

* Les Éditions du Vermillon

* MASC

* Odyssey Theatre

* Opera Lyra Ottawa

* Orleans Young Players Theatrical School

* Ottawa School of Speech and Drama

* Ottawa Symphony Orchestra

* Ottawa Youth Orchestra Academy

* Salamander Theatre for Young Audiences

* SAW Gallery

* SAW Video Association

* Ottawa Choral Society

* The School of Dance

* Théâtre de la Vieille 17

* Théâtre du Trillium

* Théâtre la Catapulte

* Thirteen Strings Baroque Ensemble of Ottawa

Annual Operating 100% CUTS (Total Cuts $297,200)

* L'Ass des auteures et auteurs de l'Ontario français

* Canadian Centennial Choir

* Carleton University Choir

* Les Chansonniers d'Ottawa (Gloucester)

* Gloucester Pottery School

* Jazzworks

* Le Groupe Danse Lab

* Les Éditions David

* National Capital Suzuki School of Music

* Ottawa Bach Choir

* Ottawa Children's Choir

* Ottawa Regional Youth Choir

* Ottawa Valley Weavers and Spinners Guild

* Pro Musica Ensemble of Ottawa

* Savoy Society of Ottawa

* Tara Luz Danse

* Third Wall Theatre Company

* University of Ottawa Choir

* World Inter-Action Mondiale

Project 100% CUTS (Total Cuts $164,850)

* 10 Gates Dancing Inc.

* AB Series

* Aroha Fine Arts Inc.

* Arteast

* L'Ass des professionnels de la chanson et de la musique

* Available Light Screening Collective

* Bywords

* Canadian Showtime Chorus

* Capital Brassworks

* Centre communautaire Franc-Ouest

* Le Centre d'artistes Voix Visuelle (Bravo-Est galerie)

* Centretown Movies

* Chamber Players of Canada

* Collective (gulp)

* Consort baroque d'Ottawa

* Cooperative Franco-Presence

* Crichton Cultural Community Centre

* House of PainT

* Impressions in Jazz Orchestra

* ImPULSE Theatre Projects

* Inside Out Ottawa-Gatineau LGBT Film and Video Festival

* Kanata Choral Society

* Ladyfest Ottawa

* L'Atelier littéraire des Outaouais Inc.

* Leading Note Foundation

* Musica Viva Singers of Ottawa Inc.

* Nepean Choir

* New Theatre of Ottawa

* Propeller Dance

* Pulse Theatre Collective

* Royal Canadian College of Organists, Ottawa Centre

* Seventeen Voyces

* Société artisitique rhythm'n'zouk

* Strings of St John's

* Svitanok Ukrainian Dance Society

* Tara Players Theatre of Ottawa

* Théâtre village d'Orléans

* Théâtre jeunesse en tête

* Théâtre Tremplin

* Theatrophy

* Tree Reading Series

* Vision Theatre Inc.

* The War Cabaret

* X Ottawa Photography Festival

Individual - Creation and Production and Collaborations 100% CUTS (Total Cuts $338,000)

71 Individuals

Ottawa Book Awards 100% CUTS (Total Cuts $27,000)

Karsh Award Program 100% CUT (Total Cuts $7,500)

NEW ARTS FUNDING INITIATIVES - AIS / SIA

Pilot Rural Arts Funding Program 100% CUTS (Total Cuts $23,774)

* MASC

* Program Development

Pilot Diversity Arts Funding Program 100% CUTS (Total Cuts $70,000)

* Abezamutima et Loyal Kigabiro

* Aboriginal Experiences Arts Culture

* Bulgarian Students' Experimental Theatre of Ottawa

* Groupe de Danse Traditionnelle Burundaise ABEZAMUTIMA

* Latin American Festival

* Loyal Kigabiro : Les tambours sacrés du Burundi au Canada

* Oto-Wa Taiko Group

* Ottawa Asian Heritage Month Society

* Ottawa Chinese Arts Troupe

* Ottawa Turkish Music Ensemble

* Soma Selepak Culture Association

* Vietnamese Canadian Centre

* Vietnamese Traditional Music Group "Lac Hong" Ottawa

* Program Development

Arts Capacity Building Funding Program 100% CUTS (Total Cuts $76,500)

* Artengine

* Arts Ottawa East

* L'Association des auteures et auteurs de l'Ontario français

* Canada Dance Festival Society

* A Company of Fools Theatre Inc.

* Great Canadian Theatre Company

* Kiwanis Music and Dance Festival Assoc.

* La Nouvelle Scène

* Odyssey Theatre

* Orleans Young Players Theatrical School

* Ottawa Arts Court Foundation

* Ottawa Chamber Music Society

* The School of Dance

* Théâtre la Catapulte

* Les Éditions du Vermillon Inc.

Arts Stabilization / Investment Service / Endowment Feasibility 100% CUTS (Total Cuts $20,000)

Heritage Programs

Museum Service Agreement 24% CUTS (Total Cuts $344,443)

* Bytown Museum

* Diefenbunker, Canada's Cold War Museum

* Goulbourn Museum and History Centre

* Nepean Museum

* Osgoode Township Historical Society and Museum

* Watson's Mill

* Museoparc Vanier Muséopark

* Workers Heritage Centre

Heritage Projects 100% CUTS (Total Cuts $29,200)

* Dickenson Square Heritage Management Inc.

* Manotick 150th Anniversary Celebrations Committee

* Ottawa Regional Heritage Fair Organizing Committee

* Pinhey's Point Foundation

* Vietnamese Canadian Centre

* Vintage Stock Theatre

* Elizabeth Krug

* Jean Yves Pelletier et Francois-Xavier Simard

Service Organizations 100% CUTS (Total Cuts $446,305)

* Council of Heritage Organizations in Ottawa

* Heritage Ottawa

* Ottawa Museum Network

Historical Societies 100% CUTS (Total Cuts $17,935)

* Gloucester Historical Society

* Goulburn Township Historical Society

* Historical Society of Ottawa

* Huntley Township Historical Society

* Osgoode Township Historical Society and Museum

* Rideau Township Historical Society

* Torbolton Township Historical Society

Festival, Fairs & Events Programs

Festival Service Agreement Program 100% CUT (Total Cuts $101,084)

* Ottawa Festival Network

Festival and Special Events Funding Program 100% CUTS (Total Cuts $980,000)

* Air Show Ottawa

* Canada Dance Festival

* Canadian Tulip Festival

* Canadian Turkish Heritage Foundation (Turkish Festival)

* Carnival of Cultures

* Central Canada Exhibition Association (Super-Ex)

* Festival Franco-ontarien

* Irish Society of the National Capital Region (Irish Week)

* Odawa Native Friendship Centre (Odawa Pow Wow)

* Ottawa Bluesfest

* Ottawa Children's Festival de la Jeunesse

* Ottawa Folk Festival

* Ottawa Fringe Festival

* Ottawa International Animation festival

* Ottawa International Chamber Music Festival

* Ottawa International Jazz Festival

* Ottawa International Writer's Festival

* National Caribbean Performing Arts & Cultural Network (Caribe-EXPO)

* Ottawa Dragon Boat Race Festival

* Pride Week Committee

* Settimana Italiana - Italian Week

* Westfest

Fairs Annual Operating 100% CUTS (Total Cuts $90,000)

* Carp Fair

* Metcalfe Fair

* Navan Fair

* Richmond Fair

Festival Sustainability Fund Agreement 100% CUT (Total Cuts $255,000)

* Ottawa Festival Network

Cultural Facilities Funding

Cultural Facilities Funding – Pending (estimated number of organizations) 100% CUTS (Total Cuts $52,020)

2009 Proposed New Service Expenditures

* The Shenkman Arts Centre 2009 operating impacts of $2,695,000 includes $1,400,000 facility lease cost; $958,000 RPAM building operation and maintenance contract, $212,000 RPAM facility lifecycle cost, and $125,000 in program operations. KEPT

* Support the implementation of Phase 3 of the Arts Investment Strategy and the Festival Sustainability Plan. $490,000 AXED

* Support the implementation of Phase 4 of the Museum Sustainability Plan. $145,500 AXED

* Funding for preventative maintenance and restoration services at City Archives. $280,000 AXED

* Funding for the Corporate Art Acquisitions component of the Public Arts Program. $200,000 AXED

* Funding for program operations at the Karsh-Masson Gallery. $30,000 AXED

[Birdy]

Thanks, but I was actually wondering if you guys were lacking any basic services.

[Thorgnor]

London sucks, taxes going up, services still terrible, roads crumbling, city councillors getting raises, mayor getting re-elected repeatedly after doing little because the competition are wingnuts and she's mob... bites hard down here.

And the increase is apparently about water services, I work in water and this doesn't compute.

I think I'm kinda with Birdy cause London supports a weak blues festival and a mullet reunion festival but we' don't see any benefit.

Well, I guess we get to see a lot of classic mullets.

[Birdy]

ever check out this blog TB?

http://www.thelondonfog.blogspot.com/

I'm not so sure if you'll agree with the root of it's politics, but i'm sure you'll find common ground in the ridiculousness that is your town at times.