A Look at the Counties: Spending on Cultural Sites
At the county level, however, there have been several changes since 2002. Most notable is among Putnam County residents. Five years ago, Putnam County was the only county in which a plurality of residents believed spending on local cultural sites was too low. In 2002, 48% of Putnam County residents thought not enough money was being allocated by their community for cultural sites, and 42% thought it was about right.
Today, the opinions of county residents have done an about face. Now 50% of Putnam County residents are satisfied with the amount of money being spent to support cultural sites in their community, and 40% believe funding in this area is not enough.
Residents of Orange and Sullivan Counties divide. 47% of Orange County residents think the level of funding for cultural sites is about right, and 43% of county residents think more resources should be allocated to this issue. In 2002, a majority of Orange County residents were satisfied with the amount of money their community was spending. In Sullivan County, the gap between the proportion of residents who are satisfied with spending in this area and those who think more should be done is even narrower. 45% of Sullivan County residents think too few resources are expended by their community for this purpose, and 44% think the money currently being spent is about right.
