Reader agrees with Gov. DeSantis’ veto of arts and culture projects

2
Reader agrees with Gov. DeSantis’ veto of arts and culture projects

Editor, The Beacon:

I must respectfully disagree with the letter-writer who chastised Gov. DeSantis for exercising the line-item veto to reject taxpayer subsidy of selected arts and culture projects in order to help balance the state budget (Letters, June 27-July 3).

A foundational principle of our republic is that the government should do only those things that private citizens cannot or should not do for themselves, such as build roads, infrastructure, a police force and justice system. The rest is up to us as a free people.

Freedom and limited government go hand in hand. Just because something is beneficial doesn’t mean it should enjoy taxpayer subsidy.

Support for the arts and culture should spring from, and be primarily financed by, the private sector without the state picking and choosing which ones to fund with tax money taken coercively from the people.

To paraphrase Thomas Jefferson: A government big enough to give you everything you want is a government powerful enough to take everything you have.

Recognizing the proper role and limitations of state government will not deprive any citizens from supporting the arts and culture of their choice or make Florida a “Bubba state.”

Thanks to Gov. DeSantis, we are one of the best-run states in the country and remain “the free state of Florida.”

John DiChiara
DeLand

No posts to display

2 COMMENTS

  1. “In order to help balance the budget” suggests that arts funding was somehow excessive and stood in the way of a balanced budget. Arts funding was .03% of the total budget, a pittance. If you are upset by spending that does not align with your model of limited government, I’m confused that your anger isn’t directed at the governor. He blows tax money all the time on pet projects such as creating an election police (2.2 million) , flying migrants to other states ($615,000), and threatening to sue because FSU wasn’t in the college football playoffs (one million). Add to that Republican tax breaks for businesses that don’t need them (yes, those are government subsidies) and you have a clear picture of a political party that talks about small government on Monday and spends to its heart’s content on Tuesday. And not on roads, infrastructure, or the police.

    Yes, the arts are beneficial. Encouraging the arts makes a better citizenry (I’ve worked in programs that support arts for kids and veterans) and boosts local economies because artists buy locally. Investing in the arts creates communities where people want to visit and spend money. “If the rest is up to us,” why not continue to support something that does so much good? No artists are getting rich from this money.

    Based on his absurd comments where he suggested that all arts money was being spent on sexual content, DeSantis either doesn’t care about the arts or wants to beat up on them to strut for his party’s base. Don’t fall for it.

  2. “Just because something is beneficial doesn’t mean it should enjoy taxpayer subsidy”
    So you agree that Religious Groups should pay taxes. Good, glad we’re on the same page

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here