Or was this just a political ploy? If you picked the second you’d be correct.

On Monday Representative Denny Hoskins (r-noun, verb, CPA) was on KOKO radio, a local Warrensburg station, speaking about his problem with the Show Me Justice International Film Festival.

Before we go to the radio transcript let’s take a look at an interesting document from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services:

COMMUNITY SERVICES BLOCK GRANT PROGRAM

Information Memorandum

….Opportunity for a Hearing

A key statutory requirement for funding termination or reductions, as outlined in Section 678C(a)(5) of the CSBG Act is that States must provide adequate notice and opportunity for a hearing prior to terminating organizational eligibility for CSBG funding or otherwise reducing the proportional share of funding to an entity for cause.  The CSBG Act does not include any State or Federal authority to waive the requirement of an opportunity for a hearing. Hearing procedures should be consistent with any applicable State policies, rules or statutory requirements.

Pursuant to Section 678C(b) of the CSBG Act, OCS shall, upon request, review any final State determination to terminate or reduce funding of an eligible entity.  In order to conduct such review, the requestor and State should submit to OCS all necessary documentation  relating to the determination, including, for example, transcripts of the hearing and any documentation used in reaching the State’s decision.  For the purposes of any Federal review, it is suggested that States provide the following information to OCS:

   * A copy of the notice provided in advance of the hearing that includes the date of the notice and the date of the hearing;

   * The name of the presiding hearing official;

   * The name(s) of official(s) or individual(s) responsible for determination of hearing findings or decisions (e.g. the CSBG State Official);

   * The names of the individuals participating in the hearing; and

   * Documentation of evidence presented at the hearing….

Do you suppose that requirement for a hearing is to minimize political interference in a program at the last minute?

So, did the Missouri Valley Community Action Agency get a hearing? Just asking.

Was the timing of this all political?

You bet.

“…Well, uh, that kind of leads into a next segment. We’ve got veto session this week….”

Would the bill the Governor vetoed have had any impact on the film festival? It depends on when you ask Representative Hoskins (r) – before or during a veto session.

“…Yes, pretty much like we’re talking about, very similar to what we’re talking about. …”

And that veto session in Jefferson City on Wednesday? Our good friends at Fired Up via Twitter:

Hoskins trying to make hay with film festival during veto override debate, but then admitted fund in HB1903 wouldn’t have made a difference     about 8 hours ago  via Twitter for iPhone

[emphasis added]

That’s called foreshadowing.

On to the radio transcript:

….Question: How can you recall funding after it’s spent?

Representative Denny Hoskins (r):  Well, that, that’s a, that’s, that’s an interesting question, Woody.

Question: [laughter]

Denny Hoskins:  Uh.

Question: It’s spent already.

Denny Hoskins: Yes, a lot of the money had, had already been spent. Uh, some of it had not. And so I’m, I’m not for sure exactly how the Department of Health and Social Services is going to recall that. But, you know, regardless, you know, I’m, I’m for tourism. I like to see people come in, you know, here in to Warrensburg. But I just don’t think the intent of the federal stimulus dollars was to put on a red carpet film festival, uh, that, from the Department of Health and Social Services. I didn’t know that they, they were in the business of, of putting on film festivals [crosstalk], so…

Update: Below the fold.

…Question: I had never even heard of it going on until the gentleman came to Rotary and spoke to us on Tuesday. I’d never heard of it.

Denny Hoskins:  Right, right.

Question: So, uh, whether they weren’t doing much publicity on it or what.

Denny Hoskins:  Yes, Yeah, I,  I’d heard just a few things about it but nothing until, you know, the Rotary and, and, um, a couple things in, in the local media, uh, this last week. And so, um, that’s, that was my in, involvement in it. You know, I,  I think if we could get private dollars in order to do this [crosstalk]…

Question: Yeah.

Denny Hoskins:  …if, if the Department of Tourism wanted to spend some of their money in order [inaudible crosstalk] to bring a film festival here, you know, to Missouri, you know, that, that might be more, more appropriate of the agency. But, like I said, I, you know, they were, the, some of the meals that they were having looked to be, you know, pretty, pretty nice and we got some wonderful restaurants around here. I know the, you know, they were gonna have pan seared salmon and, and steak and wine and things at, at the, uh, gala red carpet VIP event [inaudible crosstalk] on Friday evening, but, you know I start to think, you know, those families, you know, the community action agency that they’re there to help the needy, low income, handicapped and, and disabled  and I, I wonder how many of those people received a, a pan seared salmon and, and steak and, and wine [inaudible crosstalk] Friday evening. Probably not very many.

Question: I don’t know, though. Do, do you ever figure out what the purpose of it was? How that was gonna help, uh, the poor and the ingindent [sic]? Indigent.

Denny Hoskins:  No.

Question: I can’t say the word. Indigent.

Denny Hoskins:  Yeah. Indigent. No, uh. [laughter]

Question: [inaudible] say that.

Denny Hoskins:  No, and, uh, that was one of my biggest concerns, is, you know, how, how is this going to help, help those people when, and a, a red carpet, like I said, film festival. I, I don’t, I don’t see [crosstalk]…

Question: Yeah.

Denny Hoskins: …how, how that helps those people.

Question: Publicity, maybe? I don’t know. Bringing, bringing attention to the fact might, might be one of the things. But I, you know, I’m not smart enough to know that.

Denny Hoskins: Right, well, I mean, if you’re wanting to bring, you know, attention to the, those things I, I would think a hundred thousand dollars you could do some [laughter] , do some other things or, I mean, that mon, that’s money [crosstalk]…

Question: Yeah.

Denny Hoskins: …could go to at home meals for senior citizens.

Question: Yeah.

Denny Hoskins:  It, you know, it coulda gone to whole variety, you know, helping, you know, or low income students get back packs for schools and things like that, not, uh, not a film festival.

Question: Well, weren’t, weren’t they keeping the place they got the money from informed of what was going on? They were supposed to be report, were they not reporting regularly, telling them what was going on? And why, why did they wait to the last minute [crosstalk]…

Denny Hoskins: Right.

Question: …last, the day before the thing starts to say they want their money back?

Denny Hoskins:  Well, I, I think a lot of that, uh, it depends on who you talk to, that, you know, the community action agency, um, they’re saying they followed all the proper procedures. They submitted their application to Department of Health and Social Services [crosstalk]…

Question: Um, hmm.

Denny Hoskins: It was approved. They have certain benchmarks they had to report back. Um, usually these things are typically like four benchmarks that they have to report there and then they get the funding after they [crosstalk]…

Question: Yeah.

Denny Hoskins: …complete that benchmark, uh, from the Department of Health and Social Services. Um, department of, so, uh, Missouri Valley Community Action Agency which, which is a good agency, does a lot of, of things for a lot of people here in, uh, [crosstalk]…

Question: They sure do.

Denny Hoskins: …in Johnson County as well as in, uh, I believe an eight county area. They have an office down there on Holden Street [crosstalk]…

Question: Um, hmm.

Denny Hoskins: …pretty close to my CPA office. [crosstalk]

Question: Sure do, yeah.

Denny Hoskins: And, um, so they’re saying they followed proper procedures, submitted the application, submitted these benchmarks when they had been completed, getting reimbursed. Now the Department of Health and, and Social Services is saying that, um, the application that, uh, Missouri Valley Community Action Agency submitted to them to, for this grant that, this hundred thousand dollars of stimulus funds was different than the actual event that was going on this weekend.

Question: Okay.

Denny Hoskins: So.

Question: They just didn’t explain it correctly, apparently, huh?

Denny Hoskins: Yes, yes. That’s what the Department of Health and Social Services is saying [crosstalk].

Question: So, where’s this gonna go from here?

Denny Hoskins:  Well, uh, that kind of leads into a next segment. We’ve got veto session this week.

Question: Uh, huh!

Denny Hoskins:  And one of the bills that, or maybe the only bill that we’re going to try, the Governor, uh, vetoed a bill that would allow more transparency and accountability for stimulus funds.

Question: What we’re talking about.

Denny Hoskins: Yes, pretty much like we’re talking about, very similar to what we’re talking about. And he says that there’s already rules and regulations on the books that, uh, [crosstalk]…

Question: In place.

Denny Hoskins: …in place for these stimulus dollars so there’d be transparency and accountability. And he said that it, uh, um, what the bill basically did, that we, we passed overwhelmingly in the House and the Senate. I voted for it. I believe Senator Pearce voted for it as well, I’m sure that he did. And, it would, it would basically create a separate fund to receive these stimulus dollars and so we can better track how they are being spent. And give more legislative oversight on these stimulus and, and ARRA, American Recovery and Reinvestment Act dollars [crosstalk]

Question: Yeah.

Denny Hoskins:  And, so, we’re going to try and override, uh, the Governor’s veto this Wednesday [crosstalk], my understanding.

Question: The odds of that are what? Slim?

Denny Hoskins:  Well, you know, this is, this is a good example, the Show Me Social Justice Film Festival is a good example of, of stimulus dollars coming in that were not, [crosstalk]…

Question: Yeah.

Denny Hoskins: …are not being spent for the purpose that which they are intended. Um, you know the festival did not create any jobs here in Johnson County. It’s not helping the, the needy, low income, handicapped, elderly, you know. Yes, did they buy some food from our local restaurants? Yes [crosstalk]…

Question: It did, it did bring some money in to Warrensburg, though.

Denny Hoskins:  Right, right, yeah, I mean it, you know, yes.

Question: What, ninety-four thousand dollars or something like that’s supposed to be what was coming in here in from it I [inaudible][crosstalk].

Denny Hoskins:  Um, hmm. Right. But, um, it’s, like I said, it’s, it just wasn’t being spent for the purpose it was intended and not [crosstalk] creating jobs.

Question: Yeah.

Denny Hoskins:  So, what we hope to do is, I think this is a prime example why we do need that law in the books and why we need to override the Governor’s veto  [crosstalk] on that.

Question: Will you speak to this on the floor?

Denny Hoskins: I will. I plan on speaking to this on the floor.

Question: Which probably would, would help get the job done then [crosstalk][inaudible].

Denny Hoskins:  Right, well, I think this is, like I said, it’s a good example of, of how this, there needs to be more legislative oversight over those stimulus dollars coming in to make sure that they’re being spent wisely, I mean these are, I mean, the listeners out there, this is your taxpayer dollars that, that are being spent and [crosstalk]…

Question: Yeah.

Denny Hoskins:  Um, you know, if you think that they need to spend stimulus dollars and, and Department of Health and Social Services need to be in the film festival business [questioner laugh] then, and then we probably disagree.

Question: Yeah….

Here’s a question or two for Representative Hoskins (r): Did you contact anyone at the Missouri Valley Community Action Agency with your questions or allow them to explain what they were doing before you started your political posturing? Have you contacted anyone at MVCAA since? They’re on the web. They have a phone number and e-mail.

Update: We received word that Representative Hoskins (r) did not contact MVCAA before or during the film festival, but he did contact them on Monday afternoon (September 13th).

“…Um, hmm. Right. But, um, it’s, like I said, it’s, it just wasn’t being spent for the purpose it was intended and not [crosstalk] creating jobs….”

You see, we did ask:

….Melanie Corporon: ….In trying to think of creative ideas on how to engage community people in, our concern is poverty, overall, I bounced the idea off a state person and she suggested social justice as a theme. And she said, you know, a lot of communities do this, it brings a lot of people in, and it’s a good way to get the message, you know, of things about racism today, ageism,sexism, homophobia, lot of those things are relevant social issues that we have to tackle. So we did take that approach.

The other thing that we wanted to look at, what, with doing an event like this, how could we promote our area, draw people in, and have a lasting impact in tourism, business development, those kinds of things, you know. And we wanted to support local business, so we pledged to spend money in our seven counties, any money received. So, we did that.

We also wanted to take low income individuals, train them in hospitality customer service type training and then put them to work in paid positions at the festival….

“…But, like I said, I, you know, they were, the, some of the meals that they were having looked to be, you know, pretty, pretty nice and we got some wonderful restaurants around here. I know the, you know, they were gonna have pan seared salmon and, and steak and wine and things…”

Do you suppose there were business sponsors and possibly in-kind donations and maybe people attending the festival who paid admission?

Fancy that, you know, actually asking people for information before you cater to teabaggers.

Previously:

Suppose you held a film festival and right wingnuts didn’t want anyone to attend (September 10, 2010)

The show must go on (September 10, 2010)

Rep. Denny Hoskins (r) and Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder (r): The review is in – two thumbs down (September 14, 2010)

Veto Session Reviews for Rep. Denny Hoskins (r): great potental for a Razzie (September 15, 2010)

The Show Me Social Justice International Film Festival catches a break during the General Assembly’s veto session – because, from the reviews, Representative Denny Hoskins (r-noun, verb, CPA) gave a performance worthy of a Golden Rasberry:

Representative John Burnett via Twitter:

Shocker! Repubs open with red herring argument re movie festival funding. Oddly fm Warrensburg where R incumbt is in trouble. Coincidence?     about 8 hours ago  via Twitter for iPhone  

Ouch, that left a mark.

Fired Up! via Twitter:

Hoskins trying to make hay with film festival during veto override debate, but then admitted fund in HB1903 wouldn’t have made a difference     about 8 hours ago  via Twitter for iPhone  

So, why bring it up, unless it was all about political posturing? Because it was all about political posturing.

Tony Messenger via Twitter:

Missouri house begins process of trying to overturn nixon veto of hb1903. unlikely to get the two-thirds majority necessary.     about 8 hours ago  via Panoramic moTweets

Sorry, forgot to tweet the end of the veto session debate. veto override fell way short. back to your previously scheduled fundraisers …     about 6 hours ago  via Panoramic moTweets  

Oh, and fundraising.

Previously:

Suppose you held a film festival and right wingnuts didn’t want anyone to attend (September 10, 2010)

The show must go on (September 10, 2010)

Rep. Denny Hoskins (r) and Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder (r): The review is in – two thumbs down (September 14, 2010)

The balcony is closed for this year.

Today’s Warrensburg Daily Star-Journal printed a lead editorial about the continuing saga of right wingnuttia’s difficulties with the Show Me Social Justice International Film Festival. The editorial takes Representative Denny Hoskins (r-noun, verb, CPA) to task and highlights the scale of Lieutenant Governor Peter Kinder’s (r-where’s my bicycle race?) hypocrisy:

9/14/2010 1:45:00 PM

Social justice fest opens to injustice

EDITORIAL

The Show Me Social Justice International Film Festival opened to injustice Friday in Warrensburg – harsh criticism coupled with an 11th-hour loss of funds.

A few days before the festival started, Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder tweeted about wasting America Recovery and Reinvestment Act tax dollars, suggesting the $94,000 could be better spent on roads and bridges. On opening day, Rep. Denny Hoskins issued a statement shedding doubt on the value of a “festival with questionable ethics” and taking credit for funds being withdrawn….

….But Kinder’s selective criticism deserves scrutiny. Kinder pedaled furiously for using millions of state dollars to inflate the Tour of Missouri bicycle race. This year, because Gov. Jay Nixon’s administration decided not to pump another $1 million into Kinder’s boondoggle, the race deflated and disappeared. From a credibility standpoint, for Kinder now to criticize spending less than $100,000 on the film festival falls flat….

….Missouri Valley did not hide the intent to stage the festival. Organizers put everything in print and on the Web, and showed pride in the effort.

Given that background, how ethical, how irresponsible, how plain dumb, really, is it that after months of planning by Missouri Valley, Social Services yanked festival funding less than 17 hours before the event started?…

[emphasis added]

Really, here at Show Me Progress we didn’t notice the hypocrisy and political posturing? Oh, wait, we did:

..Irony alert, anyone, anyone? Do you think the Lieutenant Governor is aware of the difference between the annual big bucks subsidy of a bicycle race and one time seed money for a small cultural event? Apparently not…

Then, you know, republicans don’t like or want American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds to be used for anything, including roads and bridges.

There was also a companion piece in the Daily Star-Journal’s opinion section today, written by Jack Miles:

9/14/2010 1:45:00 PM

Little justice for festival’s organizers

I am disappointed that controversy plagued the festival. I support questioning the use of tax dollars, but also question the critics’ timing. Organizers planned the event months ago, but critics waited until the last minute to raise concerns about using $94,000 in Recovery Act funds for the festival. If critics intended to destroy the momentum and enthusiasm supporters had going into the festival, kudos to them.

I feel bad for Missouri Valley Community Action Agency, which organized the event, and for participating merchants caught up in the controversy. If critics had waited until after the festival, funding still could have been withheld, but without the potential to hurt an event meant to showcase Warrensburg and to boost the area’s economy.

For a festival offering social justice, Missouri Valley got little in return. Here’s hoping for a better outcome next year. Break a leg.

The Daily Star Journal had extensive coverage of the festival in today’s and previous editions of the paper:

Awards end controversial film festival (September 14, 2010)

Mixed reviews follow festival (September 13, 2010)

Controversy fails to bring down curtain (September 13, 2010)

Show Me Justice Fest (September 13, 2010)

Our previous coverage:

Suppose you held a film festival and right wingnuts didn’t want anyone to attend (September 10, 2010)

The show must go on (September 10, 2010)

Previously: Suppose you held a film festival and right wingnuts didn’t want anyone to attend

We cover politics and government in Missouri. We don’t usually cover film festivals. Unless government and politics somehow gets into the mix.

It has.

So, I found myself attending a Show Me Social Justice International Film Festival event at a Warrensburg movie theater.

Dee Wallace (left) and Pam LaFrenz, Executive Director of the Missouri Valley Community Action Agency.

The event took place right before a festival screening of Winter’s Bone, a film about Missouri (That’s like saying that Titanic was a film about a holiday cruise…).

The theatrical trailer for Winter’s Bone:

So I got to meet Dee Wallace, talk with people about the festival and Denny Hoskins’ (r-noun, verb, CPA) war on local economic development, and I also learned that Denny Hoskins (r) had issued a press release today taking credit for sinking the grant funding for the film festival.

Yeah, I know, an obvious public relations coup for someone who’s really concerned about local economic development.

Putting Johnson Countians back to work is my first priority.

Yeah, right.  

There’s nothing new under the sun, especially when it comes to how right wingnuts react to art.

Suppose you planned a film festival, went through the process to get a grant as seed money with the intent of creating a continuing cultural institution which would add to the local economy over the short and long haul, and then had local teabaggers and their political patrons throw a monkey wrench into the works at literally the last minute.

And suppose a number of people who first thought the film festival was a great idea and a creative way to contribute to the economy of a small rural town got cold feet because of screaming teabaggers.

Does this remind you of anything else? You know, an innocuous project created with the purpose of doing some good and then – wingnuts start screaming and craven politicians beat the drum for political gain.

Welcome to America in 2010.

The Show Me Social Justice International Film Festival is scheduled to take place in Warrensburg, Missouri from September 10th – 12th:

Mission Statement

The purpose of the Show Me Social Justice International Film Festival is to raise awareness of Social Justice Issues. Using a variety of artistic media, our goal is to impact our communities, both locally and globally, in order to inspire personal responsibility and positive action…..

….Missouri Valley Community Action Agency….

….This project is funded in whole/or part with federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds received from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) provided by the Missouri Department of Social Services, Family Support Division.  The funds received from the Family Support Division are all federally funded.

Apparently, Representative Denny Hoskins (r-noun, verb, CPA) isn’t a fan of cinema.

We received a copy of the following e-mail:

From: RoseMarie Hopkins [mailto:RoseMarie.Hopkins@house.mo.gov]

Sent: Thursday, September 09, 2010 4:43 PM

To: Patriots Info

Cc: Denny Hoskins

Subject: RE: Film Festival

Mr. [….],

Rep. Hoskins has just been notified by the Department of Social Services that the Community Services Block Grant funding the Show Me Social Justice Film Festival this weekend in Warrensburg is being recalled.  As a result of your contact with Rep. Hoskins, the agency has reviewed the grant application approved and determined that the actual event differs from the event described in the grant request.  As this film festival is not an appropriate use of that funding, all $99,540 is being requested back.

Rep. Hoskins appreciates you bringing this to his attention in time to address the situation.

Sincerely,

Rose Marie

Rose Marie Hopkins

Legislative Assistant to Rep. Denny Hoskins

District 121

Missouri State Capitol, Room 409A

Jefferson City, MO   65101

573/751-4302

573/526-9804 F

866/331-4073 Toll-free

Lieutenant Governor Peter Kinder (r-where’s my bicycle race?) got into the act a few days earlier via Twitter:

We got this instead of roads, bridges?! RT @United4MO: Incl “ShowMe Social Justice Intrntl Film Fest” sponsord by state w/stim $$ #tcot #pdk     3:59 PM Sep 7th  via ÜberTwitter  

Irony alert, anyone, anyone? Do you think the Lieutenant Governor is aware of the difference between the annual big bucks subsidy of a bicycle race and one time seed money for a small cultural event? Apparently not.

What did people in Warrensburg have to say about the film festival before this teabagger storm?:

9/9/2010 1:57:00 PM

Film festival rolls in Warrensburg

Jack Miles

Editor

….Warrensburg Chamber Director Tammy Long said Wednesday that the event offers the potential to draw outside revenue into the city.

“Any opportunity to showcase Warrensburg is a positive opportunity for the Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Center,” Long said.

The effort to create a buzz about the event is working, Gassen said.

“From what I hear it’s going well,” he said, with TV crews expected to come to Warrensburg from other cities. “There will be some hubbub out in the major markets. …

“It’s going to be a great weekend.”

“…Any opportunity to showcase Warrensburg is a positive opportunity for the Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Center…” This from the local Chamber of Commerce, no less.

Correction: until the teabaggers started screaming, it was going to be a great weekend.

Last night I spoke with a representative of the Missouri Valley Community Action Agency (MVCAA). The MVCAA is based in Marshall, Missouri and covers a seven county area in a rural part of the state:

Show Me Progress: Could you tell me about the film festival?

Melanie Corporon, Community Development Director, Missouri Valley Community Action Agency: Yes, when we received American recovery and Reinvestment Act money we were trying to look at ideas that would not only create jobs but would have have a lasting impact – something we could do over and, you know, either more training for people, more jobs, or an economic impact, because this was economic [crosstalk]…

Show Me Progress: So this would be, in a sense, a seed that might set up something that would recur [crosstalk]…

Melanie Corporon: Exactly.

Show Me Progress: …that wouldn’t need additional money in the future.

Melanie Corporon: Exactly.

Show Me Progress: But it would start things [crosstalk]…

Melanie Corporon: Exactly.

Show Me Progress: …and get things going.

Melanie Corporon: Yeah, we, we used this as seed money, basically.

In trying to think of creative ideas on how to engage community people in, our concern is poverty, overall, I bounced the idea off a state person and she suggested social justice as a theme. And she said, you know, a lot of communities do this, it brings a lot of people in, and it’s a good way to get the message, you know, of things about racism today, ageism, sexism, homophobia, lot of those things are relevant social issues that we have to tackle. So we did take that approach.

The other thing that we wanted to look at, what, with doing an event like this, how could we promote our area, draw people in, and have a lasting impact in tourism, business development, those kinds of things, you know. And we wanted to support local business, so we pledged to spend money in our seven counties, any money received. So, we did that.

We also wanted to take low income individuals, train them in hospitality customer service type training and then put them to work in paid positions at the festival.

[….]

Show Me Progress: How, now, how did the idea of the actual film festival, how did that, you, literally, get the grant to that. You proposed this to [crosstalk]…

Melanie Corporon: Yes.

Show Me Progress: Which agency did you propose this to?

Melanie Corporon: Department of Social Service Community Service Block Grant. Okay.

We received a block of money out of the stimulus and we have to write plans on how we’re going to spend that. So the bulk of that money went to hire staff to work with families to help them get through this economic times, through case management, paying rent, utilities, you know, helping seniors, all of that. That’s where the bulk of this money went.

But part of our work is community. How do we educate the community on the issues that families are facing?

[….]

I had gone to Columbia to the True False Festival and I was very impressed with their, lot of, you know, university people were involved with that and  they’re a documentary based film festival. So that kind of prompted some ideas in my head about this. And so, like I said, I bounced it off some people and they thought it had merit.  

Show Me Progress: And so this was approved?

Melanie Corporon: Yes.

Show Me Progress: Did you, was there any further vetting processes from agencies, just to check on what you were doing?

Melanie Corporon: Every quarter, how we have to earn the money, by doing certain things. Like developing a local planning team, to do that, we don’t get paid unless we make benchmarks. And so we’ve received three payments for this project.

Show Me Progress: For this project in particular.

Melanie Corporon: Yeah, yeah.

Show Me Progress: And, and this is federal money?

Melanie Corporon: Um, hmm.

Show Me Progress: But it’s administered through the state Department of Social Services.

Melanie Corporon: Correct.

Show Me Progress: And so at each point you met the requisite approvals.

Melanie Corporon: Yes.

Show Me Progress: And then, what has happened recently?

Melanie Corporon: Through our e-mail system on the web site someone e-mailed us and said that Lieutenant Governor Pete Kinder was blogging on Twitter….that he was basically really negative about this. And so…

Show Me Progress: This, this particular…

Melanie Corporon: This particular event. And yesterday I received a phone call from a citizen asking me about this, and she was very upset about it. And after I explained the situation, she really just didn’t like the stimulus, because when I explained that we also help people from being homeless, you know, making sure their utility bills are paid and things like that, it wasn’t all just film festival here. This is a small piece of the whole thing. She was, thanked me and said I, at least you talked to me about this and I appreciate that.

Show Me Progress: So, what, you’ve been informed recently of some, what had come to pass?

Melanie Corporon: Yes. Well my boss has been in Jeff City for the last couple of days for a, she was out of the office, and someone had called Senator David Pearce’s office and he had contacted our state association with questions, so I had drafted a response explaining what this was about. Two things, educating and engaging the community and economic stimulus for our seven county area. Those were the two purposes of the film festival.

Show Me Progress: Throughout this process, this is something that you just didn’t make up, you had to, you actually had to say, this is our plan, this is what we’re gonna do, and you went through the requisite approvals.

Melanie Corporon: Um, hmm.

Show Me Progress: So what has happened with the, [crosstalk] at this point?

Melanie Corporon: The Kansas City Star contacted one of my staff today and said that their understanding is that the State of Missouri has said that this is not allowable under ARRA [American Recovery and Reinvestment Act] and….that costs will be disallowed. However, since then, we have talked to the state director and she’s explained that it will be reviewed and all financial expenditures will be reviewed and some be allowable and some may be disallowable, but it will be subject to review.

Show Me Progress: ….So at this point  you’re, you’re not quite sure what’s going to happen with it. And is, the festival’s obviously starting tomorrow?

Melanie Corporon: Right, it’s too late to cancel it.

Show Me Progress: And so you’re, you’re going forward.

Melanie Corporon: Well, you know, we made financial commitments already, so at this point it’s ludicrous. We have filmmakers coming in, you know, things like that. So, what am I going to do if I don’t continue? So, the shame is now it’s gonna impact the people coming. We’re not gonna get the numbers we had hoped for. And to me that’s a real waste of federal money because now I’ve made these financial obligations I can’t…

Show Me Progress: But the publicity has gone forward. You think that this will have a damper on the attendance?

Melanie Corporon: Yes.

There’s some history when it comes to the arts contributing to the economy when it comes to federal stimulus programs:

There was an aspect of FDR’s New Deal that has been enriching lives for decades, even though many have forgotten – or never knew about – the Federal Cultural Programs of the 1930s, which were the first foray of government into the realm of cultural development by supporting activities not already subsidized or commissioned by patrons in the private sector. Rather than follow the lead of the private sector, the Federal Cultural Programs built on a foundation that emphasized a belief in the interconnectedness of culture in every aspect of life. Art and culture, FDR believed, should be available to all, not just the genteel upper classes who lived rarefied lives. Dreams, FDR thought, ought not be destroyed by economic hardship.

The WPA was established on May 6, 1935, and arts and culture were considerations from the get-go. As soon as there was a WPA, there was the Federal Project Number One, or “Federal One” as it was commonly referred to. Federal One was made up of five divisions –

• The Federal Art Project
• The Federal Music Project
• The Federal Theatre Project
• The Federal Writers Project and the
• Historical Records Survey

Each of the five divisions was headed by a national director, and just one short year after the five national directors first met in Washington, some 40,000 WPA artists and other cultural workers – actors, musicians, composers, etc – were employed in projects throughout the United States.

Public art and cultural enrichment have been considered an appropriate use of public funds ever since, and it is considered a good use of funds because for minimal investment, we get a public asset that has exponential benefit because it can be enjoyed by and enrich the lives of many.

In the spirit of Federal One, the Missouri Valley Community Action Agency used $100,000 of their grant from the Recovery Act as seed money to establish the Show Me Social Justice International Film Festival in Warrensburg, Missouri.

A film festival, the reasoning went, could have long-term benefit and be ongoing, a regular, yearly occurrence that becomes a profitable draw to the community over time.

People in the community were excited, sponsors lined up and – most importantly – filmmakers became aware of the festival, and over 200 submissions poured in and they secured the rights to screen a Sundance winner that was filmed entirely in Missouri with a cast of all Missouri actors…pretty impressive for a maiden festival in a small city, miles and miles from the closest interstate highway and even farther from the closest commercial airport.

It is going to be sweet.

Too bad the teabag crowd, notorious for hating things that they don’t understand, decided to throw sand in the gears and cause problems for the nascent festival.

And the teabaggers are counting coup and thanking Senator David Pearce (r) and Representative Denny Hoskins (r), the intent to have a positive impact on the local economy be damned. But it’s not all about that with teabaggers:

…Too be sure, many of them don’t agree with the “social justice” aka redistribution of wealth theme of the festival…

But it’s certainly okay to advocate redistribution of wealth the other way, eh?

So Denny Hoskins (r) believes he got the funding for the festival pulled. I wonder what a number of his constituents who worked on bringing the festival to Warrensburg will think about that.

Blue Girl contributed a considerable amount of research and content.