Greg Skordas // Democrat // State: Attorney General

1. How have the arts, culture, and/or humanities impacted your life?

I was born and raised in a musical family. My mother taught, performed and still plays piano daily. My father was a drummer. I played percussion in local orchestras as a young man in Salt Lake County. My wife has decorated our two homes with dozens and dozens of works by many local artists.

2. Utah's humanities and arts employ 123,000 Utahns, provide $4.4 billion in earnings, and $13.2 billion in sales. This is a larger economic impact than agriculture, mining, and real estate. Do you consider the arts and cultural sector an economic driver in Utah?

No

3. I support...

-Grants to be used for operations (jobs) as soon as possible

-Keeping emergency loans open to nonprofits

-Protecting the RAP taxes so that money granted to cultural organizations doesn't get repurposed

-Increasing availability of loans to cultural businesses (nonprofit and for-profit)

-Fiscally responsible government investment in arts and humanities organizations

-Cultural Districts

-Facilitating partnerships between tourism and culture

-Reducing regulations of creative businesses

-Capital investment (in museums, performance/concert halls, studios, galleries, nonprofit office space, etc.)

-The RAP tax

-The RAP taxes which are decided by voters

-Percent for public art programs, which optionally designate 1% of government capital costs for public art

-Allowing municipalities to set design standards

-K-6 Students having increased exposure to arts and humanities education

-7-12 Students having increased exposure to arts and humanities education

-The Beverley Taylor Sorenson Arts Learning Program which puts one arts specialist in most elementary schools

-The POPS (Professional Outreach Program in the Schools) which sends 13 professional arts organizations to all UT school districts

-The iSEE (Informal Science Educational Enhancement) which sends 10 professional science, zoological, and natural history organizations to all UT school districts

4. I will...

-Ensure existing fund balances are preserved for recreation, cultural organizations, and parks

-Make sure that the arts and humanities receive at least a 1/3 of RAP revenues

-Work to pass a RAP tax in my county

5. Fiscally responsible government investment in the arts and humanities (including humanities and arts education) means to me:

Creating smart ongoing endowments to support the artist community.

Website: http://www.skordasforag.com