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Congress funded the councils at normal levels for fiscal 2026, but the administration has disbursed less than half and told them not to expect the rest. The Federation of State Humanities Councils has asked a federal judge in Oregon to rule that Trump is violating separation-of-powers rules.
He does shit and it takes time to get the court ruling, by which time the damage is done.
But government funds for 250 celebrations is socialism!
These small towns should know by now that they should be celebrating the Coke Cola 250™ and McDonald's 250™
Guess you have to travel to Washington to celebrate. See the swamp in person.
It's called the reflecting pool
The Strait of Warm Ooze
Ah ha ha ha ha ha ha! Fuck you maga fucks.
NOTUS reported that when DOGE axed federal funding for state humanities councils last year, local libraries and historical societies were forced to abandon plans for the semiquincentennial. The councils, created by Congress around the 1976 bicentennial to fund small-scale history and civics projects, operate in nearly every state and territory.
In Trumbull County, Ohio, even a modest "passport" project encouraging visits to history sites had to be kept small because the historical society could not afford to print more booklets. Councils in West Virginia, Alabama and Washington state were hit too.
Small towns across America wanted to throw a party for the nation's 250th birthday
Did they, really? I haven't seen much interest in municipal planning or governance in corners of the country that seem to hate their historical residents almost as much as they hate new people, immigrants, and vacationers.
Everything bureaucratic is someone else's problem. Everything fun costs too much money. Everything done in public cuts into the working day or gets in the way of the new pipeline or truck convoy or data center. I'm sure cuts to the federal stipends for the municipal Have Fun budget are a part of this. But I suspect a lot more is the slew of wet-blankets who have clogged up the lower rungs of government with the express purpose of transferring as much money out of the public coffer and into some private asshole's back pocket.
The idea that we should have public parties has been going out the door right along with our love of public parks and schools and non-cop public jobs. Parties are for the rich people who can afford tickets to the next FIFA match or the President's birthday Fight Night or a flight to Epstein Island. You don't just get to roll out of your hovel and have a good time on the public dime.
There are a lot of small townships and communities that love organizing events just to bring people together. Barbecues, block parties, potlucks, etc. I'm in the Midwest, so my experience may be different from others. A lot of farm towns around me have odd celebrations related to local history / lore.
I agree that an area's local government is less likely to shell out for public events as compared to 50 years ago. However, I don't see small towns giving up on putting together community events. I have family in a podunk town of family businessss and trailer parks around a lake, and they will use any excuse to come together and celebrate.
Big, city-wide, free/nonprofit events are becoming more rare and less inclusive, absolutely. However, I'm hoping the power of people will prevail and communities will still self-organize and come together to socialize, to entertain, and forget about life for a bit.
All a good party needs is people, snacks, and music. And black jack. And hookers.
Couldn't organise a pissup in a brewery.
this post was submitted on 01 Jul 2026
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