Why Does the Grammy Foundation Need Taxpayer Money

http://www.house.gov/apps/list/press/az06_flake/022403_Grammy.html ^

[repub32]

Congressman Flake Sings the Blues About $800,000 in Omnibus for the Grammy Foundation Why Does the Grammy Foundation Need Taxpayer Money?

Washington, DC – Arizona Congressman Jeff Flake, who represents the state’s Sixth District, today was left scratching his head upon finding out the Grammy Foundation, a non-profit arm of the Recording Academy, received $800,000 in the Omnibus Appropriations Bill for 2003, which was recently signed into law.

“The mission of the Grammy Foundation is certainly noble,” said Flake, “but why is an organization affiliated with thousands of multi-millionaire musicians and record executives receiving taxpayer money?”

“Norah Jones won a handful of awards last night for a song called “Don’t Know Why.” I think that could probably describe a lot of taxpayers trying to figure out why their tax dollars are going to the Grammy Foundation.”

[weegee]

Non-profit foundations need to be careful when it comes to making political statements or else they can lose their non-profit status.

[DBrow]

Let me throw this out- 800G means that the government has a stake in the grammys, and the 800G can be taken away if the folks running it don't behave. Sort of like highway funds tied to education programs.

Listen to all the rumors going around that the committee asked all the performers not to use their stage time as an anti-war protest. The guys running the show maybe wanted to keep getting the 800,000 bucks?

Money can be a leash as well as a tool and how much is it worth to prevent Bono and Crow from using the airtime for their own purposes? Of course Clinton had the same leash, as did Bush I.

$800,000 is less than one Superbowl ad spot.