Zuckoff, Mitchell

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University of Rhode IslandDigitalCommons@URIRhode Island State Council on the Arts(1979-1992)Education: National Endowment for the Arts andHumanities, Subject Files I (1973-1996)1986Rhode Island State Council on the Arts(1979-1992): News Article 11Mitchell ZuckoffFollow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.uri.edu/pell_neh_I_81This News Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Education: National Endowment for the Arts and Humanities, Subject Files I(1973-1996) at DigitalCommons@URI. It has been accepted for inclusion in Rhode Island State Council on the Arts (1979-1992) by an authorizedadministrator of DigitalCommons@URI. For more information, please contact digitalcommons@etal.uri.edu.Recommended CitationZuckoff, Mitchell, "Rhode Island State Council on the Arts (1979-1992): News Article 11" (1986). Rhode Island State Council on theArts (1979-1992). Paper 71.http://digitalcommons.uri.edu/pell_neh_I_81/71JAN.21 '86 12:31 SENATOR PELL PROVIDENCE RI State Audit Is Critical · I Of R.I. Arts Council Disc:retion5 !,g~,1~raJ!~S By MITCHELLZUCKOFF the money came. from federal A111ociated PreH Writer sources and was used for lobb~·-PROVIDENCE <AP> - The ing, a "clear violation of federal Rhode Island Council on the Arts law." said the report by Auditor gave a grant to an organization General Anthony Piccirilli. that used the money illegally and The alliance said in its grant funded groups not eligible for its application that it would "at· aid, according to an audit releas- tempt to persuade members of ed today. (Congress and the General The council should not have Assembly) to enact legislation given $1,566 to the Rhode Island favorable to the arts cause or to Arts Advocacy Alliance because repeal unfavorable legislation." ---· . ...  l The fiscal 1984 report also criticized the council for giving $15,000 to the Providence Opera Theatre, which the audit said was ineligible because it did not have an artistic director and a j. professional business manager m full-time positions. ) J J l Iona Dobbins, the council's ex· ecutive director, defended the alliance grant and the council's overall fiscal practices. · Dobbins said the pool of money from which the grant was made also contained state money, and there are no restrictions on the use of state funds for lobbying. She added that the alliance "had a long way to go before it could become a professional lob· bying organization." . In addition, Dobbins criticized the audit report for f6cusing on one small grant in light of the large amount of aid tfle council hands out, and said the media on-ly was interested because of the financial scandals at the Rhode Island Housing and Mortgage Finance Corp. "The reporters are Just trying to create sensationalism out o1 this," Dobbins said. "For the most part, the recommendations are just small hints for housekeeping." The auditor general also said several recipients of money under the council's Artists-in· Education program violated regulations by usins other federal grants to provide mat· ching funds. . . / , 

Rhode Island State Council on the Arts (1979-1992): News Article 11

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Rhode Island State Council on the Arts (1979-1992): News Article 11

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