City in the wrong for buying theatre

Last Wednesday, the Bloomington City Council approved a measure to give a $600,000 subsidy to the financially unstable Buskirk-Chumley Theatre. \nThose funds are part of a $1.2 million city acquisition of the theater, a Bloomington landmark. \nThey are also a part of the general fund -- Bloomington's main checking account.\nWhile it is beneficial to the city that the Buskirk-Chumley will remain the beautiful and cultural landmark that it has been since 1922, the council's decision raises two important questions: should the taxpayers of Bloomington be made responsible for supporting the theater, and will the theater be able to retain complete artistic control of its productions when it is owned by the government?\nThe answer to both of these questions is no. Certainly, the presence of the theater is beneficial to the city. But it is the theater staff's responsibility to maintain its financial stability, not the taxpayers' responsibility. Some citizens spoke out about the council decision, and the council should have listened to the tax payers' concerns.\n"The future of the theater rested in the hands of the community, and people chose not to support it in sufficient numbers," Bloomington resident Tom Butts told the IDS. "Now you're taking the decision away from us."\nAnd while the city has the theater's best interests at heart by acquiring the building, free artistic expression and government ownership doesn't always mix. \nThe Buskirk-Chumley should be free to produce any show or event it sees fit. Now that the city is financially responsible for the theater, it also has a hand in what shows will or will not be performed at the Buskirk-Chumley. \nWhen the city stepped in to save the theater from closing, it was stepping in with taxpayer dollars. And the door is now open for the city to step in and control what productions will be staged at one of the city's most valued theaters.\nStaff vote: 8-6