Buddy can you spare a dime?

In a more colloquial context, this would, of course, be: "have you got any spare change, mate?"

Yes, it's that time of year, when the more 'cultured' of our number start the rounds of begging to be bailed out again.

I had been wondering for some time just how long it would take before the Wales Millenium Centre came looking for more public handouts. I didn't have to wait that long, did I?

I find that it is quite incongruous that we have a situation of schools being closed, elderly people being unable to find suitable accomodation for their old age, hospitals creaking along, massive Council Tax increases, inadequate transport infrastructure and yet there seems to be a general feeling that the Assembly and its occupants appear to be so remote from 'real life'.

The current situation of the WMC being £13.5 million in debt and demanding an extra £4 million a year in extra subsidy is a sad indictment on Wales as a whole. Of course, our esteemed Culture Minister will sternly 'wag his finger' at the WMC, but will, nevertheless, bail them out in the name of 'culture' and the 'arts'.

Of course, the usual suspects are trotting out the same old guff about the 'iconic' staus of the WMC, when in reality the only 'iconic' status is that of another 'white elephant'. Then of course we have that old chestnut of the 'culture' issue, which they would seek to support at any cost.

This 'culture ' has little support from the general public as it appears that many of these 'cultural' events are out of reach of many and are unwanted by even more.

The Welsh National Opera, for instance, seems to have taken over much of the facility of the WMC and continues to be an unnecessary drain on the public purse, yet is supported by few.

Just how much more of this waste of public money must Wales endure in order to satisfy the elitist cravings of many of its patrons.

It appears to me that this so-called 'culture' is going to be a significant drain on our resources for some time to come.

A quick look around the WMC website shows that it clearly encourages this elitism by offering all sorts of 'extras' that are clearly designed to attract just a certain 'type' of patron.

Just what is it about 'Arts Centres', that our politicians seem to believe that they are a panacea for all ills. Huw Lewis' blog seeks to suggest that in Merthyr, for instance, the first step towards the regeneration of the town is yet another subsidised Arts Centre. In fact he states:

"If you know of a multi-million pound Arts Centre that has been built without creating new jobs and without attracting more visitors and boosting the local economy, then please post me a link"

Here you are Huw, try this one. http://www.wmc.org.uk/ It's currently boosting the local and national economy by minus £13.5 million plus minus £4 million per annum for the foreseeable future.

Your plebeian yet proletarian pal.

johnny.