Government socialism and the Non-profit Economy

Today it is over three years since I composed my first two blogs. My thoughts about what to write about remain consistent with my first two efforts.

In the meantime I have published a number of blog posts at Andersen Studio Days and Nights I understand the need for diplomacy in addressing controversial issues and indeed I attempt to the best of my ability to be diplomatic, but if acceptable diplomacy is to keep one's voice silent and to not question the powers that be, then we are no longer living in a democratic society. Since so much of the activities resulting from the collaboration between government and non-profit organizations borders on socialism and indeed sometimes crosses the line to Marxism, that silence for the sake of acceptance by the powers that be is not a viable alternative. On the other hand, it is probably better to publish my opinions in a venue that is not directly connected to our business and
to that end, I have decided to use this blog to publish my thoughts in a semi-anonymous manner that has fewer restraints by censorship.

The Maine Arts Commission is published on a government website. When I first started this blog in 2005, there was a creative economy list serve, which I welcomed. Maine is a fairly private state and the list serve seemed like a great opportunity to connect with Mainers living in other communities. However it soon became apparent that the list serve was "juried" by the Maine Arts Commission, sponsored by the state of Maine government. Although government censorship on freedom of speech seems fundamentally un-American, it didn't seem entirely inappropriate in the messy world of internet dialogues. However when an petition that I received from Wendy Rosen, who is a highly influential member of the professional crafts community, was rejected by the jury at The Maine Arts Commission, it became my first introduction to the cold shoulder response with which the Maine Art Commission greets the for-profit (small) business community. Since those days, I have come to privately refer to The Maine State Art Commission as a bureaucracy of elitism, which is not surprising when the governor's inspiration is Richard Florida.

The email I sent to be published on the Maine state creative economy list serve concerned the labeling of crafts made in China. These crafts were being imported into the United States with paper labels identifying that they were made in China. The paper labels could easily be removed and underneath were hand painted American names that portrayed the crafts as an American-made craft. Wendy was writing to Mainers because our Senator, Olympia Snowe, was on the relevant congressional committee, and so Wendy Rosen was requesting that we bring the matter to the attention of Senator Snowe. When I submitted the petition to The Maine Arts Commission's Creative Economy List Serve, it was rejected by the jury. On advise, I addressed a letter of complaint to the governor's wife and she contacted the Maine Arts Commission, who sent me a letter explaining that the contribution was rejected because the jury perceived it to be "spam". The obvious rationalization did not hold water, as it is common knowledge that spam is a product of mass mailing, and I sent a single email to the creative economy list serve. In that contribution I requested that Maine crafters write to Senator Snowe. If the "jury" at the Maine Arts Commission identifies such a request as "spam", it only indicates that there is something seriously wrong with the Maine Arts Commission, a belief that has been continually reinforced in the ensuing years.

Creative Economy

There is a new list serve that has been circulating the states that goes by the name of "The Creative Economy" . The list-serve is coming from the governor's office of my state..

I live in a rural community and welcomed the idea of a public discussion of creative economy that can bring together geographically separated people.

I have been trying to discover what the term "creative economy" actually represents and who is behind this movement. There is a book that is recurringly referrenced. It is The Rise of the Creative Class by Richard Florida.

I don't like the title of the book. It rings of the elitism of Ayn Rand.

But, before rushing to judgement, I am trying to gain an understanding of the broader spectrum of ideas that are being considered under the banner of The Creative Economy.

I read an internet article by Richard Florida. He communicates enthusiasm but his ideas don't gell as a whole to these ears.

As I am writing this I decided to find that article but instead I came across of a reveiw of Florida's latest book. found here http://www.creativeclass.org/

In a reveiw credited to Publishers Weekly, these words scream out at me:
the loss of even a few geniuses can have tremendous impact, adding that the "overblown" economic threat posed by large nations such as China and India obscures all the little blows inflicted upon the U.S. by Canada, Scandinavia, New Zealand and other countries with more open political climates.

Has the whole country gone mad, I wonder? Of course the loss of jobs to China is a serious threat, in fact I recently heard that my state has lost more jobs to China than any other nation, and all I am hearing about is Richard Florida?!?

Are these "few geniuses" more important that the entire population of the country?

I wonder by what measure one determines the status of genius? Undoubtedly the same measure that Richard Florida uses to rate the creative index of the fifty states. That is, Richard Florida's personal preferences.

I go upstairs to comment to my octogenarian father who is engrossed in watching a session of Congress on Cspan.

Dad tells me that the government just made a deal to sell our telecommunications industry to China.

This sounds serious but I have to find out the whole story for my self before I rush to conclusions.

Father continues that Congress has just voted to elliminate credit card dept relief through bankruptcy.

And this is combined with loss of jobs and lowered income ,I think, but more to find out about for myself.

I wonder if the governor of our state is as enthralled by the philosophy of Richard Florida as are others that I am encountering. He (the governor) is schedualed to be at a forum on the creative economy in a nearby town at the end of March.

I have to find out these things before then.

Sitting on A Log

Feb 24 2005

To Blog or Not to Blog, That is the question.

To Blog because the space is here, made available through the graciousness of the world through this moment in time and the technology of man and because I have responded to the invitation and formulated my place in the space.

This log on which I sit is situated in the woods that I have wandered so many times throughout my life. I am alone in the woods and my thoughts are unrestricted by social institutions, or professional considerations. It's just the woods with the salt water pond not too far off and which ever direction I choose to wander it all leads to the ocean.