This is mere interest group pandering, and should be treated as such by the legislature. The proposed fund would be supported out of general revenues by the assembly for a number of years until a threshold is reached. By indexing state government expenditures to population and inflation, the voters of Colorado expressed their will that the present size and activity level of Colorado's government was adequate and should not be increased. The establishment of a Colorado Cultural Trust Fund stands in direct contradiction to this view. We believe that existing legislative commitments to education and transportation are correctly viewed as more important.
Art fails on both grounds.
People pay for music, paintings, and literature every day, while others buy beer, cigarettes, and football tickets. To convince yourself that one person's enjoyment of art affects the experience of others, visit any popular summer exhibit at the Denver Museum of Natural History. Art does not produce public benefits. The findings of the assembly as expressed in the bill are in error. According to the text of the bill, the General Assembly finds that public funding of art produces public benefits and stimulates the economy.