CTF Confronts Red Ball Creator

The Luminato Festival in Toronto has taken $25 million from taxpayers during the past three years. A piece of "art" from this year's edition is an inflatable red ball made by Kurt Perschke of the United States. Here, Kevin Gaudet of Taxpayer.com asks Perschke to justify the expense. Watch the ironic ending.

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• Luminato
• Toronto
• Red
• Ball
• Kurt
• Perschke
• Kevin
• Gaudet
• Taxpayer.com
• Canadian
• Taxpayers
• Federation
• Ontario
• Canada
• arts
• waste
• ridiculous
• confrontation
• heated

[Mammonist]

It's irrelevant whether the arts festival generates income. (Note that the tax money saved would generate even more income.)

It is not the proper role of government to sponsor art or try to generate economic activity. Even if it was government's job, the tax money should be spent on the items of biggest return, which is not an arts festival.

If the government sponsored me to make a giant red ball, I would do it. However I would point out how much it cost and what a waste of tax money it is.

[wastedbandwidth]

Kurt Perschke is a douche bag. He has scammed multiple communities out of tax dollars and should be exposed, prosecuted and serve some time in jail (after he reimburses the money he has stolen)

[CPSSucks]

I should secede because I don't like being robbed to pay for garbage art - that makes a lot of sense. Maybe I should be charged with a hate crime, too.

[CPSSucks]

You don't know what my money goes for, and even if it did go for "wasteful stupid crap," that would be MY business, because it's MY money, as opposed to the money that goes to support this garbage "art." I don't steal money to pay for my "wasteful stupid crap," - I don't expect anyone else to pay for my "wasteful stupid crap" - so why should I have to pay for someone elses.

[Mizmirandah]

Why do you view Canadian art so negatively? Is it just because YOU have to pay for it all by YOURself and the only thing YOUR money goes towards is wasteful stupid crap? I am not, nor did I claim to be an artist. I certainly have never received any money from the government and I do not begrudge those that do. The reason it is YOU who should secede is because YOU are the one who has issues with supporting Canadian culture. If YOU don't like YOUR country, it is you who should leave.

[CPSSucks]

Such a cliche. The poor, suffering, - cynical, socialist, secretively sensitive artist. Most art doesn't stink, just Canadian art. And how typical - if I don't like getting robbed, I can always leave. How about if the artists, who can't survive without MY money, secede. That makes more sense. But of course making sense isn't fashionable is it.

[curtismartin129]

Because you are a Canadian. If that is unacceptable, I suggest you secede from Canada and establish CPSSucksistan where there are no taxes and most certainly no state sponsored art. As for Canadian art stinking, most art stinks. Fortunately some of it is good enough to make enduring the rest bearable, much like humanity in general.

[CPSSucks]

Speak for yourself. And I still say Canadian art stinks. Why should I pay for it.

[curtismartin129]

We most certainly are beasts. Yes there is a world of difference between a big red ball and building a highway. One has practical value and the other merely aesthetic. If the government was spending an equal amount of money on roads as they were on big red balls I might be concerned. the reality is closer to 100 billion on infrastructure and 0.5 billion on culture. All things may not be relative but neither are all things equal.

[CPSSucks]

Businesses that fail either fail because the gov't has screwed up the economy / business, or because the businessperson is incompetent. Is the system fair? No. Well that is why we are complaining. Because OUR money is wasted. There is a world of difference between roads and big red balls by the way, so don't try to make it sound like "everything is relative." By the way, man is not a selfish beast. He or she may be selfish, but we are not beasts.

[curtismartin129]

90% of all new businesses fail. Should the government stop investing in any of them? I don't like taxes, nobody does. Man is a selfish beast. We are more than happy to use the roads, parks, hospitals and myriad of other things our tax dollars go towards, but if given the choice most would not give any money to make these things happen. Society exists so that we can do more. Is the system fair? No, those at the bottom and oddly those at the top do not contribute as much as those in the middle.

[CPSSucks]

I've travelled all over the world, seen and read art from all over the world, art from all throughout history. When the gov't subsidizes these politically correct works, the result is always the same. Vastly inferior "art." Whether it be literature or whatever. Canadian art is boring, cliched, pretentious, politically correct drivel, and an abominable waste of taxpayer money.