THE OMNIVORES: DILEMMA

posted to Cue Sheet by James Reel

What's killing attendance at cultural events? The latest theory: The decline of cultural omnivores. This article reports on a new NEA study that suggests that the population of omnivores--people who regularly participate in a broad range of cultural activities--is shrinking and becoming less active. That's bad news because omnivores seem to be the core of the cultural audience; the only greater predictor of cultural participation seems to be education level.

My personal experience--and I realize that personal experience is always a poor way to judge things beyond one's own experience--calls some of this into question. Twenty years ago, I was struck by how musically omnivorous people in their 20s were; they'd give just about anything a try, from Tuvan throat singers through grunge rock to classical. They didn't necessarily have a deep knowledge of any particular style, but they had a broad tolerance and curiosity. I have no reason to believe that these people, or the succeeding generation, have constricted their tastes since then.

So what's the real problem? I think the key word is "participation." Obviously, fewer people are going out to concerts and plays and exhibitions. But participation is not the same as consumption. Think about those millions of music downloads, the popularity of YouTube and Hulu, the success of Netflix and our own Casa Video, the ability to look at all sorts of images (and not just pornography) on the Internet. Surely, cultural consumption is steady if not increasing if we take into account all those people just sitting at home rather than going out and buying a ticket. This is not a new idea, but cultural institutions will be able to thrive if they figure out how to reach people in their natural habitat, and how to find the money that allows them to deliver culture using evolving technology. The omnivores are out there; we just have to take culture to them, rather than wring our hands when they fail to come to us.

AZ SENATE MAY TRIGGER BUDGET SHOWDOWN

posted to AZ Week Notebook by Michael Chihak

Republican legislators in Arizona want more cuts than GOP Gov. Jan Brewer has proposed in her 2011-12 budget, saying the state must enter the new fiscal year without borrowing.

Brewer's budget proposal includes roughly $500 million in borrowing, or as some call it, rollovers and other gimmicks to balance the budget.

Those would include borrowing $330 million from the First Things First program this fiscal year, then repaying it right after the start of the next fiscal year. The other key figure is delaying a big payment to the state's K-12 public schools until after July 1.

Without permanent cuts or revenue increases, those rollover borrowing mechanisms would have to be repeated every year.

Brewer wants to do so this fiscal year and next, saying she is committed to keeping K-12 budget cuts to a minimum. Republican senators want education cuts to eliminate the rollovers, and pushing their budget out before there's an agreement is likely their way of forcing the issue.

Over in the House, the feeling is the same: Eliminate the borrowing rollovers. But Republicans there are mess adamant about the money coming from education, with one representative saying he doesn't care where the cuts are made, just so there's no borrowing. At the same time, House members say they aren't ready to move on a budget proposal, at least not this week.

If Senate President Russell Pearce is to be believed -- and who wouldn't given his vice grip on power in the Senate -- then the Senate's budget cut proposal due out Wednesday will lead the way and set the tone for the negotiations from this point forward.

The keys will be: How strong can Brewer stand on her desire to keep education funding where she wants it? How staunchly will she defend it, including the threat of a veto? Can the Senate and House come together on a plan that keeps their veto-proof majorities intact, if it comes to that?

AZ STATE BUDGET GLEANINGS: BREAKTHROUGH MAY BE NIGH

posted to AZ Week Notebook by Michael Chihak

Thursday is the likely day this week to look for movement on a state budget for next fiscal year, Sen. Andy Biggs is quoted in the Arizona Capitol Times as saying.

In a story posted today, the Capitol Times' Jeremy Duda quoted Biggs as saying, "“I wouldn’t bet my house on it. I believe it’s going to get done by Thursday. I truly do.”

Biggs is the Senate Appropriations Committee chairman, so he should know whereof he speaks.

Duda and others have reported that differences remain in the three-way discussions -- House leaders, Senate leaders and the governor -- but they are moving closer.

Brewer said last week she will stand by her pledge to keep cuts to K-12 education to a minimum. Meantime, several senators have said they want those cuts bigger to help reduce the state's borrowing and budget "gimmicks." One of those gimmicks is delaying state payment of K-12 funding until July 1, getting it out of the current fiscal year to balance the budget.

Biggs said the cuts need to be deeper than Brewer has called for so Republicans can keep their campaign promise to get the state's finances in order.

In the House, Republican Rep. Jack Harper said he and some of his colleagues don't care if the deeper cuts come from K-12 education, just so the rollovers and other gimmickry of the budget are done away with.

Assuming information will be forthcoming on the state budget in na few days, Arixzona Week will focus on it for Friday's program.

NPR CAN'T WIN

posted to Cue Sheet by James Reel

David Weigel has a perceptive little essay at Slate about how there's nothing NPR will ever be able to do to end right-wing criticism of what it does even if it no longer gets federal money, because, as with every media outlet that takes money from some sort of donors rather than advertisers, "There will be critics who will attempt—and succeed—to discredit what it reports because of who funds it." Maybe NPR should get out of panic mode once and for all, stop firing executives in a fruitless attempt to placate those who will never be placated, and press forward doing the best job it can.

CUT HIGHER ED AND 'MORTGAGE OUR FUTURE AS A STATE'

posted to AZ Week Notebook by Michael Chihak

Arizona Board of Regents' Chair Anne Mariucci's message is crystal clear:

"You cut into the bone of the higher education system, and you mortgage our future as a state."

Mariucci made the comment in an interview for Friday's Arizona Week, airing at 8:30 p.m. on KUAT-TV 6 in Tucson and at 10:30 p.m. on KAET-TV 8 in Phoenix.

Mariucci said she and the regents will work hard with the three university presidents to keep tuition increases to a minimum and financial aid to a maximum as they continue driving the universities for change and greater success in graduation rates.

The diverse missions that the three universities have been working on for several years are showing progress as each finds a niche in the higher education market for Arizona, she said. An accountability system that will measure freshmen retention and graduation rates and the numbers of community college transfers will help ensure continued progress, Mariucci said.

See her interview, the perspective of University of Arizona College of Science Dean Joaquin Ruiz and the commentary of three journalists on Friday's program. Mariucci's complete, unedited interview will be available for viewing at azweek.com Friday night.

COLLEGE TUITION INCREASES AS 'LAST RESORT' TO CUT BUDGETS

posted to AZ Week Notebook by Michael Chihak

The Arizona Board of regents heard the three university presidents at a budget work session Tuesday describe how they will meet an expected $170 million cut in their budgets for 2011-12.

The cut is proposed in Gov. Jan Brewer's budget, the details of which are being negotiated among Republican leaders of the Legislature.

In a press release statement issued after Tuesday's meeting, Regents Chair Anne Mariucci said, “The Regents considered today very real and painful base-budget spending reduction proposals for each of the three state universities. Arizona families and students deserve no less than the Regents’ full consideration of university spending cuts that go beyond what was once thought possible, just as Arizona families and businesses have been required to implement. Tuition increase options can and must be considered only as an option of last resort.”

The University of Arizona, Arizona State University and Northern Arizona University already are operating under cost-reduction options that include redefining their missions, consolidating academic programs and colleges. They have absorbed $230 million in state funding cuts in the last few years.

In the last two years, Brewer allocated more than $200 million of the state's allotment of federal economic stimulus money to the universities to cover parts of the state cuts. The federal fund is now exhausted.

Arizona Week will delve into the topic on Friday's program, looking at how the cuts will affect higher education and whether tuition and fee increases can be minimized.

The regents will conduct a public hearing on March 28 on the impact of any tuition and fee increases.