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Program to offer low-cost health care for musicians
New initiative would provide primary, dental and mental health services.
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Tuesday, March 15, 2005
AUSTIN MUSICIANS — Austin musicians — many of whom are uninsured and don't get even basic health care — applauded an initiative Tuesday designed to keep them healthy on the stage and take care of them when they are sick.
Austin musical legend Ray Benson announced today that the Health Alliance for Austin Musicians will provide low-cost care to musicians in three major ways: primary care through the Seton Healthcare Network clinics, dental care through mobile vans provided by the St. David's Foundation and mental health services through the SIMS Foundation.
Benson said musicians are "facing a health care crisis as much of the nation is" and will be helped a great deal by the alliance.
The music industry is such a huge part of Austin's economy and culture, Mayor Will Wynn and other speakers said, that it is essential to keep musicians healthy so the music scene continues to thrive. The industry employs more than 11,000 people, generates $11 million in tax revenue and injects $600 million into the local economy, Wynn said.
Most musicians are self-employed and can't afford health insurance, said Benson, who serves on the the St. David's Foundation board. He and Robin Shivers, a music business consultant, manager and chairwoman of the new alliance board, put their heads together and worked with others to see what they could do to get health care to more musicians.
Shivers estimated that 80 percent of musicians lack health insurance.
Benson said when Seton and St. David's agreed to help "it was like the floodgates opened," enabling the alliance to be born. The only other U.S. city with a similar program is New Orleans, Shivers said.
Pat Hayes, executive vice president and chief operating officer of the Seton network, said the program is a good marriage with Seton's mission to help the poor.
"I don't know of any group that is more worthy of our support, that has given more to this community, than our musicians," Hayes said.
Seth Walker, a 32-year-old Austin musician who lacks health insurance and played guitar at the news conference held at Whole Foods on Tuesday, called the program a big deal for people like him.
"We're kind of on our own," Walker said. "This is fantastic."
New House Bill Affects Future of Live Music in Texas
Please take just a moment to read this, it may seem insignificant but if you see live music you will see great changes if this bill passes. Please forward this information on to all music fans
House Bill 1 which recently passed the Texas House of Representatives on its way to the senate could have a great impact on live music in the state of Texas. The purpose of this bill is to fund public school finance and reduce property taxes of wealthiest 3% in the state of Texas. While I agree that Public education is in bad shape here in our state there are a great number of problems with this bill besides the fact that its benefiting the extremely wealthy. The gist of the bill which I will post the relevant portions of below basically wants to charge a $1.00 flat tax on admission to all live concerts, theater events, amusement parks, & sporting events. While i'm sure this may not raise too many eyebrows at first glance it is this bill's ambiguity that is a disservice to live music across the state.
As you may or may not know performing music, promoting music, and owning a music venue is a very difficult cut-throat business that most people choose to do strictly for love of art and expression. While I have little sympathy for owners of pro sports teams and athletes that rake in multi-millions annually, there are bands out there struggling to make ends meet, there are historic venues that are closing almost daily due to rising costs of business, and even many seemingly larger events do not make money, or at least the type of money to justify the endless hours put in to them. With today's economy every penny counts and by the time you add the so-called "convenience" charges from ticket agencies, you often price many music fans out of seeing their favorite bands. No I'm not talking about Britney Spears at American Airlines Center, but the smaller shows all over the state at which the bands are sweating out a late crowd just to make their money off the door. The ambiguity of this bill that I speak of is its sweeping all-encompassing language that that when they talk of a theater performance, they consider everything in the spectrum of a small poetry reading in a coffee shop in Austin to an off-broadway production of Cats at Bass Concert Hall in Ft Worth. This bill does not take the time to differentiate a concert at the Alamo Dome with 60,000 in attendance from a show at Club Dada in Dallas with 200 people. This is all too common evidence that our representatives are out of touch with what goes on around their state. The fact that they would lump small businesses trying to weather the storm of a poor economy in with the cash cow, hand-over-fist profit making of a Houston Texans game is where this bill goes wrong. No, the guy who pays $120 for tickets to a Texas Rangers game probably won't notice a $1.00 tax, but the guy paying $8 to see his favorite local band at the Parish in Austin will.
Even though this bill has already passed the house there are still many hurdles for it to clear. If you recall, this is the same bill that wanted to tax strip club goers, but when the soccer moms of the state and the religious right couldn't handle school supplies being bought with money from a topless joint, they inserted live music as the lucky one to bear the burden for the entire state. The special session has now ended with the matter unresolved. Currently the Legislature is deciding when to call the next special session. We do need to act fast to be sure that our representatives know how we feel on this matter, for when the next special session is called this will be one of the first things on the agenda. Im not saying there aren't many good points to this bill, but we need to let our representatives know that this bill as written is unacceptable. The language needs to be more specific about what sort of concert venue will be taxed and the taxation should be more representative of the amount of money being made. For instance, 10% of a $10.00 cover charge does not even out to 0.75% of a $75.00 ticket, yet they still want to charge both events $1.00. Please do not assume that this will not pass soon, please do something right away. I have included links to find out who your representative is. We need to let our representatives know that our struggling performers should not bear the burden of our school tax problems, especially to benefit the most wealthy. A big thanks to all who care about music. Many more thanks to those who care enough to save it from over-taxation. In the end it is the hungry musicians that will pay the bill.
Find Your Local State Representatives here...........
Special thanks to Catherine Nahay for bringing this to my attention...
The section of the bill in question:
CHAPTER 163 - ADMISSION TO EVENTS
Sec. 163.001 - SALES TAX
(a) A tax is imposed on each sale of an admission ticket to an event described by Section 163.002
(b) The tax rate is $1 on the sale of each ticket.
Sec. 163.002 - TAXABLE EVENTS
(a) The tax imposed under Section 163.001 applies to an admission ticket purchased to an event as described by this section other than an event exempted under Section 163.003.
(b) The tax imposed under Section 163.001 applies to an admission ticket purchased to:
(1) a professional athletic or amusement event in this state;
(2) a permanently sited theme or amusement park in this state; and
(3) a live performance, including a concert, show, reading, or play.
Sec. 163.003 - EXEMPTION
The tax imposed under Section 163.001 does not apply to an admission ticket purchased to an event:
(1) sponsored, produced, or affiliated with:
(A) a public or private primary or secondary school; or
(B) a public or private institution of higher education in this state, including a public junior college, as defined by Section 61.003, Education Code; or
(2) if the net proceeds of the event are used only for a charitable purpose.
Sec. 163.004 - APPLICATION OF OTHER PROVISIONS OF CODE
Except as provided by this chapter:
(1) the tax imposed by this chapter is administered, imposed, collected, and enforced in the same manner as the tax under Chapter 151 is administered, imposed, collected, and enforced; and
(2) the provisions of Chapter 151 applicable to the sales tax imposed under Subchapter C, Chapter 151, apply to the tax imposed by this chapter.
Sec. 163.005 - ALLOCATION OF TAX
The comptroller shall allocate the net revenue from taxes imposed by this chapter to the Texas education fund.
Find Your Local State Representatives here........... | 
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