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MAASH Letter to Speaker DiMasi

June 24, 2006

The Honorable Salvatore DiMasi
Speaker of the Massachusetts House of Representatives
State House
Boston, MA 02133

Dear Speaker DiMasi,

I respectfully request that the House of Representatives vote to override Governor Romney's the Massachusetts Cultural Facilities Fund as funded in Section 96 of House Bill 5057 "An Act Relative to Economic Investments in the Commonwealth to Promote Job Creation, Economic Stability, and Competitiveness in the Massachusetts Economy."

The Massachusetts Cultural Facilities Fund was established through your vision and recognition of the value of cultural economic development and the role of the arts, sciences and humanities in supporting our third largest industry-tourism.

As we continue to grow our economy, we must use every available economic development tool, including investment in arts and culture. The Massachusetts Cultural Facilities Fund is a vital investment in the infrastructure of tourism. By supporting our cultural facilities, we can create jobs, enhance our communities, and maintain and improve our cultural legacy.

The Massachusetts Advocates for the Arts, Sciences, and Humanities (MAASH), an independent statewide organization of the cultural community urges you to support an override to this veto for the following reasons.

1. Cultural and heritage facilities form the infrastructure for tourism, the second largest industry in the state.
2. Cultural tourists spend $6.6 billion annual in the region.
3. State investment in cultural facilities has already sparked neighborhood and downtown revitalization in North Adams, New Bedford and Lowell.
4. House Bill 5057 will create a public/private partnership that will leverage from $250-$500 million in private investment in cultural facilities.
5. Non-profit cultural organizations have a statewide payroll of $247 million with $1.1 billion of in-state spending.

Cultural and heritage organizations create the infrastructure that supports tourism and are a key part of our state's competitive economic advantage. These facilities anchor our neighborhoods, enhance our communities and provide educational opportunity for our children.

Thank you for your consideration and thank you for your consistent leadership and vision on behalf of arts and culture in the Commonwealth.

Sincerely,

Dan Hunter
Executive Director

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