Issue 18: Eric Fingerhut Interview

While Issue 3 relates to gambling, Issue 18 has to do with the arts - specifically, how to fund them. It proposes to do so by raising the cigarette tax. But is it fair to single out smokers in this way? How voters answer that question may have more to do with the the fate of Issue 18 than whether the arts need help. As the election draws near, we thought it worthwhile to present the arguments once more. Tomorrow we'll hear from a leading opponent of the tax. Today, though, we have State Senator Eric Fingerhut, campaign coordinator for Issue 18. We asked Fingerhut whether it is realistic to expect the arts to have the level of support they have enjoyed in the past given Cleveland's decline in population and loss of many businesses that used to underwrite the arts.