Bring out the clowns! - EU wastes millions on circus skills and hip hop

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worl...us-skills.html

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/...10_233x496.jpg

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Millions of pounds are being 'wasted' by the EU on promoting activities such as hip hop dance and circus skills, it emerged last night. The European Commission has announced the latest round of projects receiving grants under its £366million culture scheme. Among the beneficiaries is a European Laboratory for Hip Hop Dance which will net £900,000 and a 'wind art festival' for which £180,000 has been earmarked to promote organ music.

Other bizarre schemes include 'The project of generosity' which will get £180,000 to 'spread the movement of reaching out and sharing' and the TRANS-Mission project which will receive £143,000 for the circus sector. Where a project is run in the UK, we match the EU funding, increasing the burden on the British taxpayer. The EU Culture Programme received a pot of £366million to spend across the 27 member states between 2007 and 2014. It was approved by all member states in 2005. Funding is granted throughout this period to applicants following a vetting process. MEPs have criticised the programme, saying the EU should instead be investing in schemes to aid economic recovery.

Nigel Farage, a UK Independence Party MEP, described the funding as a 'disgrace'. 'In the depths of the recession we pay the EU £45million a day. This will raise to £50million a day next year because of huge budgets for schemes like the culture programme. And next year there is a danger that this could rise to £60million. 'There are very serious questions to be asked about how our money is being spent and wasted.'

Conservative Emma McClarkin echoed his views. 'If national governments want to use taxpayers' money on cultural projects that is their choice, but British taxpayers should not have to fork out in a vain attempt to create a common European identity,' she said. Mats Persson, of UK-based think tank Open Europe, said: 'While spending public money on cultural initiatives isn’t wrong in itself, you must really question whether millions of taxpayers’ cash should be spent on these types of rather odd projects - not least given that most people are still struggling through the downturn. 'The EU’s spending machine is completely out of sync with economic reality. 'In addition, the question is why EU bureaucrats should be involved in cultural initiatives in the first place. Surely this is better handled nationally or locally?'

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£45 million x 365 days (1 year) = £16 billion, four hundred and twenty-five million. If you took this away from each person in the United Kingdom (despite the fact children, the unemployed and OAPs dont really pay tax anyway) - tax wise you would take away a sum of what I see as around £246+ from your tax, and thats per year. This also doesnt include the immense cost of the EU to business and so forth who have to enforce their legislation. The sum is estimated to be well over £100 billion a year to the United Kingdom.

Thoughts - is this a well worth-it cause or a total waste of taxpayer money?

i think thats money well spent

I think this is pretty good to be honest, there are so many places in which the arts are so underfunded it's unbelievable, our local theatre almost had to shut down following it's funding being cut. It is up to the Governments to fund these sort of things and I think it is excellent that the EU is doing so, as these sort of things are incredibly beneficial to society, get people out the house and having a good time. I have no issue whatsoever that part of my tax is going towards this, keep funding the arts is what I say, it's a huge part of our culture that we should maintain.

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Originally Posted by Oli

I think this is pretty good to be honest, there are so many places in which the arts are so underfunded it's unbelievable, our local theatre almost had to shut down following it's funding being cut. It is up to the Governments to fund these sort of things and I think it is excellent that the EU is doing so, as these sort of things are incredibly beneficial to society, get people out the house and having a good time. I have no issue whatsoever that part of my tax is going towards this, keep funding the arts is what I say, it's a huge part of our culture that we should maintain.

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Clowns and hip-hop are not a part of our culture, and neither is the idea that Europe shares the same history and culture. If you want to go at an art school or a theatre to get out of the house then pay for it rather than expect the rest of the country to pay for things such as this. Without schemes such as this, you would have more cash in your own bank to spend and thus could choose to spend it on things like this if you deem them worth it.

Why are my parents and many other taxpayers paying for this?

If you like this sort of stuff; pay for it yourself and dont expect everyone else to pick up the tab.

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Originally Posted by Oli

I think this is pretty good to be honest, there are so many places in which the arts are so underfunded it's unbelievable, our local theatre almost had to shut down following it's funding being cut. It is up to the Governments to fund these sort of things and I think it is excellent that the EU is doing so, as these sort of things are incredibly beneficial to society, get people out the house and having a good time. I have no issue whatsoever that part of my tax is going towards this, keep funding the arts is what I say, it's a huge part of our culture that we should maintain.

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100% agreed with you. We can't just live in a depressed world for the rest of our lives.

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Originally Posted by MattGarner

100% agreed with you. We can't just live in a depressed world for the rest of our lives.

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You can have fun still; just you pay for it if you want it and people can pay for what they want. Whats wrong with that concept? - Our debt is soaring and our credit rating is about to drop which would be very serious for this country, we are heading for a catatrophe similar to the one Greece is experiencing and meanwhile we have more and more people becoming unemployed or employed in non-jobs by the state which contribute nothing to the economy. Families are loosing their houses because they cannot find jobs because business is leaving the UK and moving elsewhere thanks to taxes rising and rising, meanwhile bills and taxes for normal people are also rising. Why on earth are we paying for some of the things listed in the article when we are in such a situation?

I mean i'd understand if we rolling around in pound sterling, but we are not.

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Originally Posted by -:Undertaker:-

Clowns and hip-hop are not a part of our culture, and neither is the idea that Europe shares the same history and culture. If you want to go at an art school or a theatre to get out of the house then pay for it rather than expect the rest of the country to pay for things such as this. Without schemes such as this, you would have more cash in your own bank to spend and thus could choose to spend it on things like this if you deem them worth it.

Why are my parents and many other taxpayers paying for this?

If you like this sort of stuff; pay for it yourself and dont expect everyone else to pick up the tab.

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Most of these sort of things do require payment as well as government funding? Government funding is often used to set them up however it's income that is used to maintain them, along with government funding, so your argument there is a little bit flawed.

Everybody pays tax, and this tax should be spent on the people, myself, MattGarner and probably thousands of others agree with this, and we are happy for our tax to be spent on schemes like this.

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Originally Posted by Oli

Most of these sort of things do require payment as well as government funding? Government funding is often used to set them up however it's income that is used to maintain them, along with government funding, so your argument there is a little bit flawed.

Everybody pays tax, and this tax should be spent on the people, myself, MattGarner and probably thousands of others agree with this, and we are happy for our tax to be spent on schemes like this.

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These things would be able to run without government funding if theres enough demand and if taxes were lower. That would mean that people who wanted to pay for these sort of things would be able to do so, and people who didnt wouldnt have to and would spend in elsewhere in the economy which generates growth in all sectors. It would also mean less waste in government as it would avoid the red tape which costs god knows how much every year. What is wrong with the concept of paying for yourself?

Instead of being happy with it, the better solution is this; taxes are lower so you have your own money. Therefore if you and Matt want to contribute to your local circus and so on then you can do so, meanwhile my family and many others can spend our money on something we want and will enjoy. I question if you would still donate to something like your local circus though hmm.. I wonder.

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Originally Posted by -:Undertaker:-

Clowns and hip-hop are not a part of our culture, and neither is the idea that Europe shares the same history and culture. If you want to go at an art school or a theatre to get out of the house then pay for it rather than expect the rest of the country to pay for things such as this. Without schemes such as this, you would have more cash in your own bank to spend and thus could choose to spend it on things like this if you deem them worth it.

Why are my parents and many other taxpayers paying for this?

If you like this sort of stuff; pay for it yourself and dont expect everyone else to pick up the tab.

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What is getting silly is being bombarded with Daily Mail articles every day and constant electioneering for UKIP.
I wonder what world you live in sometimes. Hip-Hop is very popular and is now part of our culture. The popularity of the circus in England may be traced to that held by Philip Astley in London. The first performance of his circus is said to have been held on January 9, 1768. How can you say Circus's are not part of our culture? The UK has a huge heritage in this area. You would prefer us to live with no links to anybody outside of the UK by the sound of it and take us back to the stone age.

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Originally Posted by Catzsy

What is getting silly is being bombarded with Daily Mail articles every day and constant electioneering for UKIP.
I wonder what world you live in sometimes. Hip-Hop is very popular and is now part of our culture. The popularity of the circus in England may be traced to that held by Philip Astley in London. The first performance of his circus is said to have been held on January 9, 1768. How can you say Circus's are not part of our culture? The UK has a huge heritage in this area. You would prefer us to live with no links to anybody outside of the UK by the sound of it and take us back to the stone age.

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UKIP have commented on the article, if Labour wanted to comment then they could. Do you not like seeing how wasteful the EU and this government is with our money? - the truth hurts. If you want to post the great work Labour is doing then please do so although i'd say you'd be pretty hard pressed to find any. As for hip hop and the circus, if you like it then nobody is preventing you from going to a hip hop studio or your local circus - the question is, why should I and millions of others who have no interest pay for it?. You say no links, no its very simple Rosie and its something most other countries do so dont label me as 'stone age' - I want to be friends with Europe but not taxed by and ruled by the European Union, which most of the European people despise anyway.