"L.A. City Council decides against ending guaranteed funding for the arts"

The article--and the picture which accompanies it--tells you something about 1) why California is in fiscal trouble and 2) why California is a unique place.

The Los Angeles City Council decided Wednesday not to cut off the main funding source for the Department of Cultural Affairs, a 1% tax on hotel charges that has fed municipal spending on the arts since 1989.

As they tried to cope with a projected two-year budget deficit of nearly $700 million, council members also showed no inclination to back another proposal decried by arts supporters: eliminating the $4-million-a-year arts grant program starting in the 2010-11 budget year.