Joy for Pennies a Year

Unsated after slashing funds for the National Endowment for the Arts by 39% two years ago, the Republican leadership in the House is now calling for zero funding. This gives the word “shortsighted” a bad name.

As it stands, the 38 cents that every American spends each year to fund NEA programs is the best investment the nation can make in its cultural life. The NEA helps fund community festivals and activities that deliver the joy of the arts to families. Thirty-eight cents a year. For the price of a candy bar, one can help buy something infinitely sweeter: the music, dance, art and fellowship that touch the American soul. That is why we support President Clinton’s proposal to include a $133-million subsidy for the arts agency in the 1998 budget. Every subsidy dollar provided by taxpayers can attract 12 times that in private support.

To argue, as some hard-core conservatives in Congress have, that funding the NEA risks subsidizing offensive or pornographic materials is an old saw. Yes, there have been some controversial and unseemly recipients of public funding in the past, but NEA guidelines and administrators have been circumspect in recent years.

We should all embrace this opportunity to bring a mix of culture, art and excitement to Americans of every age and interest.