Two arts organizations will receive $1.25 million from taxpayers

Two arts and cultural programs will receive $1.25 million from taxpayers in the 2025 state budget.

The Michigan Traditional Arts Program at Michigan State University will receive $250,000 in taxpayer funds and Concert of Colors in Detroit will receive $1 million.

The Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity provides enhancement grants to these and other recipients. Critics argue that enhancement grants are not an appropriate use of taxpayer money. One criticism is that the process for awarding the grants is informal, usually through a request from a legislator seeking to bring in money for pork projects to his or her district.

There is no opportunity for other competing organizations to apply for the money, critics say. There is generally no vetting process or accountability to ensure the money is used in a way that achieves specific goals, such as creating jobs.

The earmark process often isn’t transparent, said James Hohman, director of fiscal policy at the Mackinac Center for Public Policy.

“We give legislators a lot of discretion to figure out how to spend tax dollars to best serve the public,” Hohman told CapCon in an email. “District projects, whether it’s spending on museums or splash pads or local charities, advance a particular lawmaker’s agenda. If it is in the public interest to fund these type of projects, legislators ought to set up a grant program, establish criteria and select the best projects. Handing out money to the projects selected by legislators ensures that we are not spending money wisely.”

The Michigan Traditional Arts Program of MSU ”is a statewide program that works to advance cross-cultural understanding and equity in a diverse society through the documentation, preservation, and presentation of traditional arts, folklife, and everyday culture in Michigan,” according to its website.

Concert of Colors has operated for 33 years, according to its website. It is a “free annual diversity-themed music festival.” Culture Source, a coalition of 152 art organizations, houses Concert of Colors.

Neither grant recipient responded to an email seeking comment.