Dear Friends,

The second thing I did this morning after pouring a strong cup of tea was to respond to Facebook friends Max Wellman, Sky Damon and John Earl Robinson for bemoaning the lack of support for the Arts:

“Oh, you silly artsy people. Everyone knows that the only folks who squander their time pursuing the Arts professionally either have no common sense or lack practical skills . . . skills like throwing a football, or like bashing the guy who throws the football, or like selling overpriced hotdogs to the guy who paid way too much for a ticket to see the throwing and the bashing. Gee, you guys just don’t get economics, do ya?” (See the complete exchange here.)

The conversation was in response to an excellent commentary in The New York Times by Gary Gutting, who writes, “Despite our general preference for capitalism, our support for sports is essentially socialist, with local and state governments providing enormous support for professional teams. To cite just one striking example, the Minnesota State Legislature recently appropriated over $500 million to help build the Vikings a new stadium. At the same time, the Minnesota Orchestra {is} close to financial disaster.”

Gutting also points out that “taxpayer money provides more than a billion dollars annually in tax exemptions and stadium subsidies for N.F.L. teams.” That’s just for one sport! Meanwhile, the annual budget for the National Endowment for the Arts languishes at a mere $154 million, well below what the agency used to receive in the mid-90s, prior to Chairman Newt’s anti-cultural revolution.

And yet, like a beacon in the wilderness of aesthetic depravity, Des Moines shines out as the Cultural and Culinary Crossroads of the Continent. We’ll talk about some of those shining lights on this week’s Fallon Forum.

Monday, attorney Joseph Glazebrook joins me to discuss Hobby Lobby’s lawsuit contending they should be exempt on religious grounds from covering birth control for employees. If time allows, we may also discuss the judicial impact of the projected 1,000-inmate increase in Iowa’s prison population over the next decade. And if even more time allows, we’ll get Joseph’s take on this week’s trial of Judge Stephanie Rose, accused of employment retaliation.

Tuesday, we talk with Bob Cook, a retired minister training to go the distance with next year’s Climate March. We also talk with Elizabeth Adams of the Iowa Dance Theatre regarding the upcoming performance of Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker.

Wednesday, Carl Voss and Ellery Duke join me to discuss concerns raised in a NY Times article, “Is It Ok to Kill Cyclists?”  regarding the disturbing frequency with which drivers are not even cited, let alone fined, after morphing a biker into roadkill. Also, Shawn Wilson with Repertory Theater of Iowa talks about this year’s performance of A Christmas Carol.

Thursday, attorney Jim Larew and State Rep. Dan Kelley discuss Governor Branstad’s evisceration of funding for Amtrak in Iowa – even as other states see a growth in ridership. Check out Jim’s column here. We also discuss wind energy, specifically the first-ever lawsuit involving a company fined for one of its turbines killing eagles, and land-use conflicts over the use of eminent domain to build transmission lines for transporting electricity generated by wind.

Join us live, Monday from 6:00-6:30 pm on the Fallon Forum website. Call-in at (855) 244-0077 and add your voice to the dialogue. Video and audio-only podcasts available after the program. The Fallon Forum also can be heard on KHOI 89.1 (Ames) Wednesdays at 5:00 pm and KPVL 89.1 (Postville) Wednesdays at 7:00 pm. Thanks!

Ed