The Tennessee Center for Policy Research's Pork Report is out again. I won't deny that they provide a valuable service in scrutinizing state spending at a time when we don't have much money. As I pointed out last year, they seem to have developed a bad habit of trying to whip people into a frenzy about sex in the arts. Page 9 of this year's report delivers more of the same. One heading reads "Tax Dollars for Dirty Movies."
They point out: "In 2009, the Tennessee Art Commission handed $29,040 in tax money to subsidize the Nashville Film Festival. Some of that money went to support films many taxpayers will never see and, in fact, would find highly objectionable."
Based on the testimony of guests and the comments of some members of the Shelby County Commission today, it's pretty obvious that we have a long way to go in being able to discuss issues of sexuality with great openness. Some people seem to revel in finding anything "objectionable."
We'd love to see the TCPR do a study on what science-based sex education would do for the teen pregnancy rate and sexually transmitted disease rate in Tennessee. Who knows what kind of money that might save? Thrift is a great Puritan virtue, repression a Puritan vice.
Learn more about Citizens for Government Waste:
ReplyDeleteCenter for Media and Democracy:
http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Citizens_Against_Government_Waste
Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizens_Against_Government_Waste
You're assuming that the teen pregnancy and STD rates in TN are the result of a lack of knowledge about sex, contraception, and/or safe sex practices.
ReplyDeleteI doubt that's the case . . .
"In 2009, the Tennessee Art Commission handed $29,040 in tax money to subsidize the Nashville Film Festival. Some of that money went to support films many taxpayers will never see and, in fact, would find highly objectionable."This is so laughable. The Nashville FIlm Festival brings in people from out of town and is an economic boost to the city. I'd say it's a good investment for less than $30G.
ReplyDeleteI recall the so-called "pork report" also cited the money spent on studying mice genes as pork. 2 years ago scientists studying something similar won the Nobel Price for medicine.
These clowns wouldn't know pork if it was frying in a pan.