Tennessee plans to fully fund Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library statewide

https://fox47.com/entertainment/tennessee-plans-to-fully-fund-dolly-partons-imagination-library-statewide

452 points · 34 comments · view on lemmy.world

34 Comments

victorz@lemmy.world · 48 pts · 1d (20 replies)

Why now, after she's passed?

chemical_cutthroat@lemmy.world · 73 pts · 1d (18 replies)

Because Dolly's efforts were non-partisan, and in this way the GOP can exert control over what books go out.

danc4498@lemmy.world · 7 pts · 14h

Please no

Earthwormjim91@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 13h (16 replies)

That’s not how the program works.

Her foundation is separate from the local orgs that actually fulfill the books.

Her foundation pays for overhead, book curation, admin costs, licensing deals, negotiating wholesale pricing for the books, coordinates mailing, etc. The local organization that is a partner member then handles enrolling the kids locally and pays for the books for their area.

Why spout shit you know nothing about??

This is the state of Tennessee funding the books for kids in Tennessee. That’s it. The same way Missouri used to do it before the new governor cut the budget for it earlier this year.

The state government also already covered half the costs of the program for the state. This is just some extra funding to cover the rest so that it doesn’t have to come from private funding.

chemical_cutthroat@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 13h (15 replies)

Her foundation pays for overhead, book curation, admin costs, licensing deals, negotiating wholesale pricing for the books, coordinates mailing, etc

So... this is what the government now controls, right?

Earthwormjim91@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 13h (14 replies)

No…. Dolly Parton’s organization does that, through her estate now. I’m sure she has a huge chunk of her estate in a trust specifically for the Imagination Library, so nothing should change there.

The state government is just funding the cost of the books and shipping, which they had already covered half of for a while now, just like the other 1500+ organizations that participate in it do.

chemical_cutthroat@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 13h (13 replies)

Ok. What happens when the state says, "If you don't do what we want, we'll stop funding."

LilB0kChoy@reddthat.com · 1 pts · 13h (9 replies)

The state government also already covered half the costs of the program for the state. This is just some extra funding to cover the rest so that it doesn’t have to come from private funding.

Looks like it would be private funding like before except completely funded privately.

chemical_cutthroat@lemmy.world · 0 pts · 13h

Privately funded with what? The government is going from paying for half to paying for it all. They aren't doubling the funding output, they are capturing the entirety of the funding. I'm not sure how everyone is missing this.

Let's say that I pay for half of your gas in your car (also assuming you drive). Now, let's say Dolly Parton pays for the other half. Well, now Dolly is gone, and I'm paying for the whole amount. When the funding was split, you could say that you were taking a road trip, and it would be likely that one of us would pay even if the other didn't like it. Now, if you take a road trip where I don't want you to go, I can just refuse to pay for it.

Earthwormjim91@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 13h (2 replies)

Then it goes back to how it is now….

Either private organizations step back up to cover it, or kids in Tennessee just won’t be eligible to participate. Like Missouri just did.

You’re confusing the two entities. The Dollywood foundation doesn’t receive any state funding, and that’s Dolly’s org that handles the admin part of the Imagination Library.

At the local level, the only funding is to cover the cost of books and shipping. The local orgs, whether state or local government, small charities, small businesses, or individual donors, have zero say on the program itself. They just handle the last mile bit of enrolling kids and covering the books and shipping cost.

chemical_cutthroat@lemmy.world · 0 pts · 13h

The government is taking over the funding. 100% of it. Do you think the foundation is going to keep a rainy day fund for when it needs to start funding the program again? That isn't how non-profits work at all. This is now government capture. They get to push GOP morality with Dolly's face on it.

I feel like I'm taking crazy pills here.

Earthwormjim91@lemmy.world · 7 pts · 13h

The state has already covered half the costs before the state program for a while now. This is just extra funding for the rest of it instead of having to rely on private funding.

BigMacHole@thelemmy.club · 27 pts · 1d (3 replies)

We CANT because that's SOCIALISM!

-Republican Voters!

Pistachio@lemmy.zip · 10 pts · 1d (2 replies)

Stfu! She had been trying to get them to do this for years! Don't give them reasons to back out

Ensign_Crab@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 1d

Don't give democrats a reason to condemn it, either.

danc4498@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 14h

You think Republicans use reason?

ironpangolin29@lemmy.ca · 8 pts · 1d (4 replies)

(Golf clap)

chemical_cutthroat@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 1d (3 replies)

((GELF) clap)

halfeatenpotato@sh.itjust.works · 3 pts · 1d (1 reply)

explain

chemical_cutthroat@lemmy.world · 20 pts · 1d

Following today’s announcement from Tennessee legislative leaders, Governor’s Early Literacy Foundation (GELF) is celebrating a proposed investment.

WillFord27@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 14h

(g-.. gilf clap?)

bizzle@lemmy.world · 7 pts · 14h

Rare Tennessee W

HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 16h

funding's funding, not control.

OmarDwidar93@lemmy.zip · 3 pts · 15h

#DollyParton

GolfFoxtrotLima@sh.itjust.works · 3 pts · 13h