I agree we should tax sin for arts, but NEO should first determine how it will be spent

In the Plain Dealer today [1] there is an article announcing that the Cuyahoga County commissioners have unanimously passed a resolution asking Cuyahoga county voters to approve on the November ballot a $0.30 tax on each pack of cigarettes sold in the county, for 10 years, the $20 million/year proceeds of which would be allocated to arts and culture.The article quotes Community Partnership for Arts and Culture president and CEO Thomas Schorgl as addressing the commissioners in support of this tax, saying it is needed to support county assets that are "life affirming and economy building". While I would actually like to see significant reduction in smoking rates and the life killing impact of smoking on the county, it is certain leadership in this community sees a need to raise money to support the arts and I agree that could have many benefits, including economy building. That said, I do support raising public money for the arts, but I do not believe the framework is in place in this community to spend such money well, and I would like to propose very specific solutions: Dear Peter Lewis and Dear Agnes Gund.

Peter and Agnes each are global leaders of the arts world, with long roots in Cleveland, who Cleveland arts and other leaders constantly turn to for support of their individual agendas, when funding is required. I know them very differently, as remarkable intellects who know arts and their "life affirming and economy building" value as well as any people ever have, and it is that aspect of their core value I seek to bring to this community, as I believe I may. I will personally ask them to help empower the Northeast Ohio arts community, not by seeking their money for the community but by seeking their solution-building expertise, which is undeniable. Throughout their lives, Peter and Aggie have been leaders of the world's greatest arts organizations and initiatives and they have distinctive competencies that do not exist here. It is that uniqueness we must bring to the leadership of NEO going forward.

My position is that the problem with the arts in NEO is that our community of leaders need such unique and authentic personal capabilities as Peter and Agnes may bring to our visioning and planning for the next seven generation. I do not believe Northeast Ohio leaders should ask them to provide personal funding for this, but time, creativity and intelligence supporting long term strategic planning at our core – we need to learn to fish in a global ocean rather than continue to churn the same murky waters. This is in fact a far more costly request to make of two of the world's most in-demand people, so I consider this proposal to demand great sacrifice of them, and I do.

Before this community should endorse a sin tax to fund arts and culture, we need a plan for delivering worthy outcomes, beyond matching taxes dollars with private donations. We need the type of vision that has lead to PS1 and Christo in the park and the Gehry at Weatherhead. I will contact Dear Peter and Dear Agnes for this role in this community and keep you posted.