From: "Alan Cook" <alangregorycook-AT-msn.com>
To: puptcrit-AT-lists.driftline.org
Date: Fri, 15 Jun 2007 23:47:50 GMT
Subject: [Puptcrit] Apathy in puppet organizations?


Here in the USA, the middle class has been decimated and squeezed by the incompetent George W Bush Regime, and the Republican Senators & Congress Members had followed in lock-step until just recently. Such is how the TRICKLE DOWN theory of Ronald Reagan has been working. The Trickle is Fickle.

I think that make economic survival in today's USA more precarious for many struggling puppeteers. EVERY ARTS ORGANIZATIOON OR SERVICE ORGANIZATION I HAVE HEARD ABOUT needs more volunteers. Not a lot of young folk at the Tampa Florida PofA Festival, and many local puppet Guilds have a high percentage of gray haired folk trying to keep things going.

Students enrolled today in puppet courses in colleges are struggling just to get to class and complete homework, and maybe hold down an outside job to help pay for tuition and housing and food.

Money in the USA does not go far---a lot of it goes to Haliburton and other friends of Dick Cheney, leaving little for worthy projects. and so far there is no end in sight for that bottomless pit. So far, the Democrats have not complained loudly enough.

When I was growing up a gallon of gas was maybe 15 cents a gallon, so even poor artists could tour puppet shows cheaply.

Wages were not high, but a penny was worth something. Postge to send a letter cross country was 3 cents--now 41 cents.
We have a President who failed at every business he tried, includng our government.
Maybe APATHY is the culprit after all.

Puppet books cost $2.50 to $8 which now cost $25  and up, up, up.

At our Conservatory of Puppetry Arts in Pasadena we could use some younger volunteers.

In April we lost two of our hardest workers, Phil & Sharon Moyer who both died that month. People like them are not easily replaced these days.

I think it is more than mere apathy we are dealing with. A lot of artistic folk have been screwed by Who Me Worry Geo. W Bush & Company.

ALAN COOK


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