&#8220Your assistance is needed now!&#8221 declares an Action Alert e-mail issued by the New York Folklore Society late last week in response to Governor Paterson’s revised Executive Budget which proposes to further slash funding for the arts in New York State. The full text of the Folklore Society’s message follows:

On April 27, 2010, Governor David Paterson announced a revised Executive Budget proposal for the 2010-11 fiscal year. This new proposal recommends a total of $25.2 million for NYSCA’s Local Assistance (grant making) budget for the 2010-11 fiscal year, and the same amount for the following 2011-12 allocation.

This most recent proposal represents a nearly 40% [39.4%] decrease in Local Assistance funding from 2009-10 levels ($41.6 million), far exceeding the cuts proposed for most other New York State agencies.

In his revised Executive Budget, Governor Paterson has also proposed reducing NYSCA’s administrative budget to $4.84 million in 2010-11. This represents a nearly 12% [11.84%] decrease from 2009-10 levels ($5.49 million).

The total proposed 2010-11 budget for NYSCA totals $30.4 million. At this level of funding, New York State’s per capita spending on Arts would drop from $2.48 to $0.77. New York’s ranking as the 3rd highest per capita support for the Arts in the US would drop to 26th, ranking just above Arkansas at $0.74 per capita and below the national average of $0.90 per capita. Source: National Assembly of State Arts Agencies

The New York Folklore Society is a statewide service organization which works to foster the study, promotion, and continuation of New York’s diverse cultural traditions through education, advocacy, support and outreach. Located at 133 Jay Street, Schenectady, New York and found on the world wide web at www.nyfolklore.org.