Theater needs a foundation

Repeating (as my own view) from the story and Supervisor Peter Foy's quoted remarks in last week's Moorpark Acorn, Moorpark officials should seek a free market way to support the arts center. Government should not run these things; it should stay out of that. Arts enthusiasts are better able to build support and raise money for the arts center.

This essentially repeats what I wrote in the Moorpark Acorn on Jan. 4, seeking the call for a volunteer committee of prominent local businessmen and businesswomen. This means a selforganized committee of persons who desire to promote the arts, have the skill to balance desires versus costs and most of all will donate substantial amounts of money consistently.

Persons who are going to donate money liberally in hundreds and thousands of dollars in support of the arts are going to do things their way. Otherwise they will quickly understand they are being film-flammed and drop out. If City Council members believe that they can induce private persons to hand over chunks of money to be applied at the council member's own direction, the result will be a failure and thus an actual setback toward achievement of the goal.

The city council members did not themselves purchase the theater on High Street. The theater belongs to the community. The operation to date under city ownership has failed to be of any benefit to most of the community because the council members have directed it as if they personally owned the theater and owned the right to manage it.

The time has come for them to admit that they do not own it and allow the whole community to express itself along the lines advocated by Mayor Hunter, expressed to an independent foundation which will balance the desires versus the costs which the foundation members are willing to meet. Gilbert S. Bahn Moorpark