110 in the shade in Palm Springs

the pool is at 87 Not only that but the right wing rag that serves as a newspaper just printed my ltte
Musicians deserve worker rights

Well boo hoo hoo, Indian Wells Desert Symphony can't afford to contribute to unemployment benefits for the professional musicians who work for them. Sen. Jim Battin, a typical Republican Party senator, tried to remove that responsibility for them.
One would be hard-pressed to find a community anywhere in the country with more financial resources. But, heck, the musicians are working people, why should they have to pay bills? Can't they just clip coupons?

When will the Republicans stop their attacks on the American way of life? Does Battin not realize that these professional musicians have lives too? To study for 20 years or so and then be treated like this is abominable, to use a word familiar to "the culture of life" crowd. I'm sure Beethoven would be proud to be associated with this group. Maybe he could change one of his symphonies' names to "the memory of a once-great community orchestra."

Symphony lovers, it's time to ante up.
NOTE : heavily edited by the desert sun to remove, among other things my 'cheapskates' remark

I've had a letter published in my local paper, too. I got a kick out of that.

in so many places. We are all just scraping by these days, corporate donations are way down, individual donations are way down and attendance is way down.

My city is still pissed that we get paid at all, no support or mention from the city since we started getting paid. We should be doing it for fun? Well, it is fun and many of us HAVE to do it for our personal well being but the attitude is difficult to deal with. Someone once told me that part of the reason people do not want to pay us is because they know how much we enjoy it and why pay someone else to have fun? My answer to that is that they should spend a couple of weeks watching me practice and going to rehearsals then they will see how much it costs to do it and just how much "fun" it actually is.

As president of our orchestra committee I am a voting memeber of our board of directors so I have been involved from both sides. I don't see this getting any better, I see the music becoming less important to so many people. We are all very concerned. Funny thing is, it seems to be the monied people and the corporations who are making huge market gains who are tightening up.

WTF?
I will fight any anti union measure- anytime, anywhere

We do not have a musicians union here anymore. We did, I used to sit on that board too but it folded.

Putting together concerts is tough work, long hours and it does give people something very valuable. Of course they should be treated as employees, they are employees. I don't get Sen. Battin's rational.

Edit to add Thank You!! We will be out of work in a few years if the trend does not change.