Access to informative programs beneficial
Wednesday night’s presidential debate was an interesting look at the stances and thought processes of both candidates. The focus was on domestic issues and more specifically the economy. In the first section of the debate, Mitt Romney and President Barack Obama both talked about different things that could be cut from the federal budget, and Romney specifically mentioned public broadcasting. That reminded me of this summer when Gov. Nikki Haley made headlines by cutting funding to the state’s Arts Commission. Haley was overridden by the state legislature and the Arts Commission did get its funding, but it is clear she and Romney don’t find these types of programs to be worthy of government support. Contrary to their beliefs, preserving the arts and providing access to informative programming are important and deserve government funding.
The Arts Commission has many valuable functions. Its goal is to ensure that every South Carolinian benefits from the broad range of arts. It accomplishes this by providing grants and fighting to keep arts in school curriculums. It also provides support for the “creative sector,” which in South Carolina creates $9 billion a year and encompasses 78,000 jobs. They also help make the city more modern and attractive to outsiders. Arts activities are big draws, and the Nickelodeon Theatre and the South Carolina State Museum are two examples of that. A strong arts community helps our state become much more competitive nationally.
In a similar way, public broadcasting is also necessary. It provides exposure for important things that would never make it on to for-profit television, like “POV,” which showcases independent point-of-view documentaries. I still attribute at least a quarter of my science knowledge to episodes of “The Magic School Bus,” which was presented through South Carolina’s own SCETV network. National Public Radio, which also falls under the broad umbrella of public broadcasting, provides informative and unbiased reporting on important issues. What cannot be understated is the impact these programs have on people.
Our $16 trillion national debt has politicians searching everywhere for a program to cut, and that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. There are plenty of examples of government waste out there, but support for programs like public broadcasting and the Arts Commission are anything but waste. While both do receive funding from other sources, it is important the federal as well as state governments demonstrate a willingness to support programs that preserve our culture and help educate and inform our citizens. In any case, the amounts of money these programs get are such small proportions of the total budgets that it doesn’t help much. Investment in the arts and public broadcasting is an investment in human capital and our future.
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