Rock on Ben Folds ....

[craigster59]

Since this will be moved to PARF anyways, might as well "call a spade a spade".

Looks to me like a taxpayer funded playground for D.C.'s Elites.

Karine Jean Pierre is on the board as a 6 year Trustee. She sucked as WH Press Secretary, why not put her on the board of a $240 million a year slush fund?

Just another left wing grift, conservatives need not apply.

[Shaun @ Tru6]

Just stop with the faux outrage.

Originally Posted by craigster59

Since this will be moved to PARF anyways, might as well "call a spade a spade".

Looks to me like a taxpayer funded playground for D.C.'s Elites.

Karine Jean Pierre is on the board as a 6 year Trustee. She sucked as WH Press Secretary, why not put her on the board of a $240 million a year slush fund?

Just another left wing grift, conservatives need not apply.

[berettafan]

So what is the disinformation here Shaun?

It looks like Craigster has this operation pegged. My family loves that place and went multiple times even last year but it surely doesn't need to be a bank for payoffs.

[Shaun @ Tru6]

Craig is trying to say that the US government is paying Rutter $1.3 million salary. It isn't. Seriously, you're supposed to be a bookkeeper, right. $286 million with a $6 million profit means the Kennedy Center can pay whatever it wants to it's C-suite. Pretty simple stuff.

[Shaun @ Tru6]

This continuous faux outrage cycle that Fox News and the Hatestream Media has you on is not healthy.

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by Shaun @ Tru6

Private donations account for about $95 million of its budget and revenue covered about $125 million."

You can kiss those two revenue streams goodbye.

[fastfredracing]

If it profited 6 mil, why does it need Govt Cheese ?

[craigster59]

Originally Posted by Shaun @ Tru6

Craig is trying to say that the US government is paying Rutter $1.3 million salary. It isn't. Seriously, you're supposed to be a bookkeeper, right. $286 million with a $6 million profit means the Kennedy Center can pay whatever it wants to it's C-suite. Pretty simple stuff.

Rutter's salary is paid by Kennedy Center. Kennedy Center is partially funded through taxpayer money.

Who cares what pocket the money comes out of, it's the same pair of pants.

[Shaun @ Tru6]

Originally Posted by fastfredracing

If it profited 6 mil, why does it need Govt Cheese ?

It is almost certainly an artifact from when the Kennedy Center was started. You'd have to research when it became profitable and then the funding cycles after that.

It does have 1.5 million square feet of space over 17 acres. I can't say 100% without research but my guess that is government property that needs upkeep. So a decent chunk of congressional funding would go to that I think.

[Shaun @ Tru6]

Originally Posted by craigster59

Rutter's salary is paid by Kennedy Center. Kennedy Center is partially funded through taxpayer money.

Who cares what pocket the money comes out of, it's the same pair of pants.

I've done government cost accounting for a company that made parts for the Stealth Bomber, telescoping antennas for the Army, communications tow cables for the Navy.

The government cares. A lot. So there's that.

[berettafan]

It would appear based upon that list of pork the gov't doesn't care quite enough.

[Shaun @ Tru6]

Originally Posted by berettafan

It would appear based upon that list of pork the gov't doesn't care quite enough.

This is, for me, is the worst part of debate here.

We've already established that the center has a $6 million profit through private funding and sales. Which, as Patrick notes, will disappear.

[craigster59]

Originally Posted by Shaun @ Tru6

This is, for me, is the worst part of debate here.

We've already established that the center has a $6 million profit through private funding and sales. Which, as Patrick notes, will disappear.

And if it lost it's "government cheese" it would be completely bankrupt and shutdown.

Why are we funding an exclusive "perk" for the DC Elites? How many of the "unwashed masses" can afford to attend an event?

[Sooner or later]

Exclusive perk?

A Year at the Kennedy Center
2 million
visitors

1.6 million
ticket buyers

1.4 million
students served

2,200+
performances & exhibits

400+
free performances & events

[Baz]

Dear Ben & (whomever)....we don't care......

[berettafan]

I just can't see my way into Shaun's logic. If the our tax dollars are to be used in subsidizing an entertainment venue (and it is indeed a fantastic venue) then i demand a pay structure that is far less bloated that what is posted here. I also demand zero tranny shows. Let the freaks get their rocks off somewhere that isn't funded by my tax dollars.

Oh and any profit goes directly back to Fed.

And nobody in Fed gov't rides for free. All pay rack prices for all goods and services.

[berettafan]

Originally Posted by Sooner or later

Exclusive perk?

A Year at the Kennedy Center
2 million
visitors

1.6 million
ticket buyers

1.4 million
students served

2,200+
performances & exhibits

400+
free performances & events

So is your position that the obviously disgusting pay shown in this thread (and apparent payoff if the KJP statement is true) should be tolerated because it's a nice place that does a lot of business?

[Shaun @ Tru6]

Originally Posted by craigster59

And if it lost it's "government cheese" it would be completely bankrupt and shutdown.

What a silly thing to say. And as stated above, it does use 1.5 million sqft of (I think) government property that requires upkeep.

Originally Posted by craigster59

Why are we funding an exclusive "perk" for the DC Elites? How many of the "unwashed masses" can afford to attend an event?

My sense if you don't know everything the Kennedy Center does and have been fed a twitter line that it is only for elites. First, the vast majority of its revenue is donations and sales. So wealthy people do appreciate it and use it's services.

googling says it does have programs that are designed to help poor people. You would have to research that before making goofy statements that purely emotional in nature or "it says on twitter."

[Shaun @ Tru6]

Originally Posted by berettafan

I just can't see my way into Shaun's logic. If the our tax dollars are to be used in subsidizing an entertainment venue (and it is indeed a fantastic venue) then i demand a pay structure that is far less bloated that what is posted here. I also demand zero tranny shows. Let the freaks get their rocks off somewhere that isn't funded by my tax dollars.

Oh and any profit goes directly back to Fed.

And nobody in Fed gov't rides for free. All pay rack prices for all goods and services.

Then you should have been calling your congressman for years now. I get it, you love the Kennedy Center but you've bought into a culture war. And you're a fierce warrior.

But you don't have any facts or details, just emotion. You don't know what tax dollars are going to but you must express an opinion, based on emotion, not actually knowing something. A lot of people are part of your community. It's comforting. But that doesn't make a lack of information and knowledge right. It just means you feel something.

Feeling something is good. But educating yourself is the requisite next step. So you will want to go through the Kennedy Center tax filings and find out what the congressional budget money does pay for. If it pays for maintaining $1.5 million sqft of space and C-suite pay is from ticket sales and donations, admit that and feel good that you have learned something. If congressional money goes to paying C-suite salaries, post that up so we can all condemn Congress for paying Kennedy Center staff so much money.

But please let's just work with facts and leave the culture warrior stuff and emotion aside. It could very well be Congress is paying Rutter $1.3 million for a $6 million profit.

[craigster59]

As someone who has made a career in the arts and worked for many years on a Shonda Rimes show (who also resigned), I understand the need for arts and culture.

But I have also toiled for far too long working for people who felt that their social and economic status was to be placed and protected from those who they felt weren't quite "worthy", or couldn't hold the same appreciation that they had for these projects.

The Kennedy Center should be self funding or funded by those that seem to have unfettered access to its facilities and programs. That's all I'm saying.

If I can't play golf at your Country Club, then I don't want to pay for your greenskeeper.