More experts join Miller arts hearing

A new message that arrived yesterday from the office of U.S. Rep. George Miller says that no specific results from the upcoming Thursday House Education & Labor Committee hearing on the arts, the economy and employment can be anticipated right now.

The e-mail said, “It is a little premature at this point to know what will come from these hearings because a variety of viewpoints will be shared about the cause and effects of the economic downturn on the arts and music industry. ”

Miller’s online outreach specialist, Mike Kruger, did report that subsequent arts hearings will continue the discussion about the value of the arts to local communities and the economy.

 Meanwhile, the list of experts testifying at the Thursday hearing  has increased by a few names:  Joanne  Florino, executive director of  the Roy H. Park  family’s Triad Foundation, Inc.,  in Ithaca , N.Y.;  Bruce Ridge, musician and chairman, International Conference of Symphony and Opera Musicians, Raleigh, N.C.; and John Thomasian, director, National Governors’ Association Center for Best Practices, Washington, D.C.

It’s Miller time – to answer questions about his arts hearings

How hard should it be to get a U.S. Congressman to answer a few questions about his own public actions?  Well, you be the judge:

For about six weeks now, I’ve attempted to get U.S. Rep. George Miller to respond to some specific questions about the arts hearings he plans to hold as chairman of the House Education & Labor Committee. As I reported yesterday, these committee hearings will begin Thursday by examining the impact of the American arts industry on the nation’s economy and employment.

But in spite of cheerful assurances from Miller’s online outreach specialist that responses would be forthcoming, I have not received answers to these questions: