Vote yes on Inspire Olympia to boost access to Olympia’s arts and culture activities

We are still recovering from a devastating pandemic that divided us over vaccines and mandates, and isolated adults and schoolkids from normal human contact. Our community continues to suffer from crises of homelessness, rising rents, an opioid epidemic, and climate change. Inflation is eating our paychecks.

So why is the Olympia City Council proposing yet another sales tax increase to finance art and culture and make programs more accessible for all? Aren’t we taxed enough already? And isn’t the sales tax regressive, falling hardest on the very people this measure proposes to benefit?

A yes vote on the proposal, called Inspire Olympia, would increase the city’s sales tax by one-tenth of one percent. That’s another dime on every $100 purchase. That will make Olympia’s sales tax match Lacey’s and Tumwater’s, which are going up to support the County’s Home Fund later this year. (Olympia already has a Home Fund tax.)

This new tax would be paid not only by Olympia residents — the only ones who will vote on it — but also everyone who spends money in Olympia but lives outside the city limits, including tourists.

It would raise about $2.3 million per year, to be spent on free admission to shows and events, community festivals such as Harbor Days, the Procession of the Species and neighborhood celebrations; transportation to museums and cultural events for schoolkids; and a grant program for nonprofits and independent artists. All of that would be overseen by a city advisory committee. All of this is intended to lean in to equity and provide access to previously under-represented communities of color and low-income families.

Is this what we need in times of trouble, uncertainty, inflation and pandemic recovery?

Yes, actually, it is.

If you doubt this, consider Ukraine. As the Washington Post reported: “In a Ukrainian city hit hard by Russia’s invasion, five musicians brought their instruments underground — seeking to drown out the thunderous explosions with their violins, cello and bass for those taking shelter in the subway.” Ukrainian visual artists paint through the night. One says, “I have no right to give up.” Graphic artists churn out posters to support the defense of the country. From the day the war began, Ukrainians have rushed to empty museums and safeguard their precious artistic and cultural heritage underground. They have piled sandbags on statues of their national heroes to protect them.

All over the world, artists have dealt with the anxiety of watching the war from afar by creating works of art to raise money for relief and express solidarity with Ukraine.

In troubled times, art is more necessary than ever. Creating and protecting it elicits courage and sacrifice, because art is foundational to the survival of a nation’s or a community’s spirit and heritage.

Our problems pale in comparison to Ukraine’s, but the Ukrainian impulse to protect and create art even in the face of catastrophe should truly “Inspire Olympia.”

Olympia is already the cultural hub of our region, and investing in our creative economy improves its prosperity and the quality of life of residents and visitors alike.

“We just went through a pandemic that weakened our sense of connection.” says Parfait Bassale, a musician and diversity advocate who is one of the co-chairs of the Inspire Olympia campaign. “It will help bring our communities back together.” And artistic and cultural community events “have a special impact on youth that can help make them emotionally healthier” after two years of isolation.

This program can “expand the reach of the arts to everyone,” says Bobby Williams, who leads The Bridge Project, which provides songwriting and recording programs for youth with major life challenges, such as mental illness, foster care, or probation.

“Music and songwriting are tools to deal with life’s challenges,” he says, and the workshops help build community and resilience. “This ballot measure will help non-traditional organizations like ours apply for grants that provide more stability and help us serve more youth.”

For all these reasons, Inspire Olympia is an investment we should all gladly support.