There are Other Ways to Work with the Theatre

Maybe the City stop seeking grants from the Pennsylvania. Council on the Arts (PCA) for arts projects such as the murals and begin seeking “Pass Through” grants for the State Theater. This could be in exchange for the reinstatement of the State Theater obligation to pay back their loan from the taxpayers of the City of Easton. PCA grants normally do not exceed $5,000.00 but max out at $10,000.00. Local governments must match dollar for dollar. If local government wants to grant money to the State Theater, this is the appropriate way to do so. Not in some shady backroom deal that not only makes the taxpayers dig deeper into their savings to make up for the loss of more than a quarter million dollars. A move that gutted an Entertainment Tax that would have been a good revenue stream if it was enacted as it was previously. I think giving the State Theater $10,000.00 to $20,000.00 a year in grant money would be a good thing even if the City was picking up 50% of the costs, but only if they pay back the money they borrowed from me, you, and our neighbors first.

I believe most people who go to the theater go out to eat prior to the show. The State Theater has more seating capacity than all the restaurants in the City of Easton. That means the surrounding communities are directly benefiting from this lack of restaurant seating capacity. The Boro of Wilson; the Townships of Forks, Palmer, and Williams; and the Town of Phillipsburg, NJ, are directly benefiting from increased tax revenues because theater goers are spending their money in these communities and not in the City of Easton, which is host to the State Theater. It is time for these communities start providing their fair share support to the State Theater instead of only the taxpayers of the City of Easton, that way the State Theater can afford to repay their loan to the City of Easton.

Submitted by
Grant Keystone