Bush Is Said to Seek More Money for Arts [$15 million to $20 million for NEA]

New York Times ^ | January 29, 2004 | ROBERT PEAR

[yonif]

WASHINGTON, Jan. 28 — President Bush will seek a big increase in the budget of the National Endowment for the Arts, the largest single source of support for the arts in the United States, administration officials said on Wednesday.

The proposal is part of a turnaround for the agency, which was once fighting for its life, attacked by some Republicans as a threat to the nation's moral standards.

Laura Bush plans to announce the request on Thursday, in remarks intended to show the administration's commitment to the arts, aides said.

Administration officials, including White House budget experts, said that Mr. Bush would propose an increase of $15 million to $20 million for the coming fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1. That would be the largest rise in two decades and far more than the most recent increases, about $500,000 for 2003 and $5 million for this year.

The agency has a budget of $121 million this year, 31 percent lower than its peak of $176 million in 1992. After Republicans gained control of Congress in 1995, they cut the agency's budget to slightly less than $100 million, and the budget was essentially flat for five years.

In an e-mail message inviting arts advocates to a news briefing with Mrs. Bush, Dana Gioia, the poet who is chairman of the endowment, says, "You will be present for an important day in N.E.A. history."

Mr. Gioia (pronounced JOY-uh) has tried to move beyond the culture wars that swirled around the agency for years. He has nurtured support among influential members of Congress, including conservative Republicans like Representatives Charles H. Taylor and Sue Myrick of North Carolina. He has held workshops around the country to explain how local arts organizations can apply for assistance.

Public support for the arts was hotly debated in the 1990's. Conservatives complained that the agency was financing obscene or sacrilegious works by artists like Robert Mapplethorpe and Andres Serrano. Former Senator Jesse Helms, Republican of North Carolina, repeatedly tried to eliminate the agency.

Some new money sought by Mr. Bush would expand initiatives with broad bipartisan support, like performances of Shakespeare's plays and "Jazz Masters" concert tours.

Mrs. Bush also plans to introduce a new initiative, "American Masterpieces: Three Centuries of Artistic Genius." This would combine art presentations — from painting and literature to music and dance — with education programs. The program would give large numbers of students around the country a chance to see exhibitions and performances.

New York receives a large share of the endowment's grants. But under federal law, the agency also gives priority to projects that cater to "underserved populations," including members of minority groups in urban neighborhoods with high poverty rates.

The president's proposal faces an uncertain future at a time of large budget deficits.

Melissa Schwartz, a spokeswoman for the Association of Performing Arts Presenters, an advocacy group, said, "We'll be fighting tooth and nail for the increase."

Some conservatives, like Representative Tom Tancredo, Republican of Colorado, vowed to oppose the increase. Even without support from the government, he said, "art would thrive in America."

Representative Louise M. Slaughter, a New York Democrat who is co-chairwoman of the Congressional Arts Caucus, said she was delighted to learn of Mr. Bush's proposal.

"There's nothing in the world that helps economic development more than arts programs," Ms. Slaughter said. "It was foolish for Congress to choke them and starve them. We should cherish the people who can tell us who we are, where we came from and where we hope to go."

Mr. Tancredo expressed dismay. "We are looking at record deficit and potential cuts in all kinds of programs," he said. "How can I tell constituents that I'll take money away from them to pay for somebody else's idea of good art? I have no more right to do that than to finance somebody else's ideas about religion."

The agency has long had support from some Republicans, like Representatives Christopher Shays of Connecticut and Jim Leach of Iowa.

"Government involvement is designed to take the arts from the grand citadel of the privileged and bring them to the public at large," Mr. Leach said. "This democratization of the arts ennobles the American experience."

[OWK]

You have absolutely NO sense of humor.

This from the chick screaming LIAR at the top of her lungs, and talking about punching people in the face.

Too funny for words.

[Miss Marple]

6912th Security Squadron wife
Tempelhof, West Berlin
1967-1969

[Miss Marple]

And thank you for your service. Were you a linguist?

[OWK]

6912th Security Squadron wife
Tempelhof, West Berlin
1967-1969

Thanks for doing his laundry. ;^] (only joking)

[Area51]

It wasn't I that thru out the Military service as a club to beat others over the head. That was Your fellow Klatch member. Pycho Betty over there with the picture of her boy in his Dress Blues.

And your right, providing service to a Service member is NOT Military Service. Unless you are a Monica fan.

And I won't suggest that to even you.

[OWK]

And thank you for your service. Were you a linguist?

Supported them.

33s10. EW Intercept Repair.

[Area51]

Speaking of fingerpainting/fingerpointing: What a lovely picture you paint a la Pollock.

936 posted on 01/29/2004 1:10:09 PM PST by windchime (Podesta about Bush: "He's got four years to try to undo all the stuff we've done." (TIME-1/22/01))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 912 | View Replies | Report Abuse ]

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[ohioWfan]

The punching in the face was a joke. Duhhhhh.

And your first post about me was a lie.

Doesn't matter if you can't be honest enough to admit it. It still was.

[Miss Marple]

My husband was a Russian linguist. We were in West Berlin when Czechoslovakia was invaded by the Soviets to take down Dubcek.

Not a fun time...tanks circled the city and the guys were on full alert. My son was born in the Army hospital there.

We almost got sent to Turkey, but they couldn't do it because I was pregnant and couldn't fly and couldn't stay in Berlin by myself.

Those security guys learned a lot of scary stuff. Thanks for supporting them.

[ohioWfan]

I didn't throw anyone out to beat anyone over the head!

Good grief! OWK was obsessing about my homepage, and I just said that it was my SON who was my obsession. He IS!

If you were offended by that (and it wasn't even posted to you), you have some serious issues......

[Miss Marple]

You know, if my son were over in Iraq I would flood this forum with his picture.

I think that you should not criticize her for that...most of us who have had relatives serve are proud and worried about them, and don't like people acting like the man who commands them is an idiot.

Again, I need to explain to you and others that if you want to convince pepople of the rightness of your opinions, you should try the art of persuasion rather than attack. As my grandmother often said, you can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.

[RiflemanSharpe]

Please just read this and hear me out, it may be a bit rambling so my apologize. You know what is the sad part about this whole tragedy. We all want what is best for the country. We all hold GWB at least in some ways in high regards. And some of us, those who have been very critical of GWB on parts of his domestic agenda are just the tip of the iceberg. The have been numerous articles as of late warning that gwb is angering the base. And those of us, myself among them, who have publicly said that we cannot or will not support GWB know that he is the best one running that can win. We need to start finding ways to move GWB back to the right quickly so that those here who no longer support him will be given real and substantial reasons to reevaluate their choose. Both for them and for all the others out there who are not on this board, but are fed up with the leftist slant as of late. Because if GWB does not at least try to appease the base he very well could go the way of his father. We need to work to bring GWB back to the right and keep his feet to the fire so those of us who are cut loose from the reps now will support him in the fall. We do not need a leftist in the Whitehouse whether he be a rep or a dem.

[B4Ranch]

According to most of the Freepers, who consider "us" to Bushbashers and/or Bush haters, our votes don't amount to spit. The President will win the next election just fine without "us" they say. Why worry about what they have to say when they won't even give us the consideration of a decent debate?

[Dan from Michigan]

Just gave Mike Rogers' office a call and asked him to hold the line on this.

We got a gazillion dollar defecit, and Bush wants to waste money on this crap? Not only that, the 'art' crowd won't vote for him anyway! WTF is he thinking?

[Area51]

Again, I need to explain to you and others that if you want to convince pepople of the rightness of your opinions, you should try the art of persuasion rather than attack. As my grandmother often said, you can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.

951 posted on 01/29/2004 1:24:28 PM PST by Miss Marple

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To: OWK
Go pound sand, you miserable jerk.

931 posted on 01/29/2004 1:06:34 PM PST by Miss Marple [ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 929 | View Replies | Report Abuse ]

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Since you see fit to give your obnoxious armchair analysis of ohioWfan, let me give you my analysis of your personality:

You are a sour and embittered person who never has known any amount of success and vents your frustrations with your life by assuming a superior personna on this forum, where you rudely insult anyone who doesn't conform to your particular brand of conservatism. If you are an artist, you are unsuccessful, because you have no love for humanity.

You are one of the people I would least miss should my computer fail. You are a disgrace to conservatism with your nasty attitude, and you lose people to the cause with your belligerance and insults.

How do you like those apples, jerk!

927 posted on 01/29/2004 12:59:32 PM PST by Miss Marple [ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 925 | View Replies | Report Abuse ]

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To: Area51
Oh, I see. Volunteers don't deserve respect. You can read my reply to OWK right above this one, and you can apply it to yourself as well.

928 posted on 01/29/2004 1:01:00 PM PST by Miss Marple [ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 926 | View Replies | Report Abuse ]

What ever you say, Dear. After all you are standard bearer of decency here. HA Don't break your arm patting yourself on the back.

[RiflemanSharpe]

I worry about this country. I want a conservative government. I will work for it the best way, any way I can find. As of now I can not in goog conscience support GWB, but I hope he can be pulled to the right where I can. Both for my votes and the many others he has angered.

[Dan from Michigan]

A friend of mine who absolutely agrees 100% with his foreign policy reached his breaking point with immigration. He's not voting for him. He'll vote straight republican the rest of the way, but will be voting for the Constitution Party candidate for president. He might change his mind at the end, but it isn't likely.

The only reason I'm still probably going to vote for him is personal self interest. If he wins, it'll help my career. If he signs an AW ban, that's my breaking point. Exception will be made for John Kerry since I simply despise the traitor.

[Area51]

According to most of the Freepers, who consider "us" to Bushbashers and/or Bush haters, our votes don't amount to spit. The President will win the next election just fine without "us" they say. Why worry about what they have to say when they won't even give us the consideration of a decent debate?

953 posted on 01/29/2004 1:31:57 PM PST by B4Ranch ( Dear Mr. President, Sir, Are you listening to the voters?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 952 | View Replies | Report Abuse ]

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Shut up you DU troll, Kerry loving spoiled brat.

Sit down, pull the Jorge Arbusto lever and LIKE IT!(/sarcasm)

[VMI70]

I'll take a shot at this:

There are many here who cite GB's war on terror as his defining moment; his biggest accomplishment. In the main, I agree. I would like to see more aggression, but all in all, he's done a perfectly satisfactory job. However, given 9/11, I would submit that almost anyone, even Laz, could have prosecuted the war as well as GB. As far as John Kerry is concerned, who knows? He has combat experience, GW does not. That could be a factor.

Anyway, when you have a nation fully united behind their leader over the outrage of the WTC attack, then mounting a response really is fairly simple. The only concern is the calibre of people the President has tapped as his advisors. GW is blessed, with the probable exception of Karl Rove, with a great team, as far as I can tell.

Obviously the President can't know the myriad details of an operation such as this. He's not paid to. He is to provide a goal and approve a plan. His underlings handle the strategy and tactics. That's why I contend that almost anybody could handle this, since the goal in this case is so patently obvious and is anchored by the full weight of public opinion.

All that being said, it really is an exercise in futility to speculate how any of the main players would handle the war on terror, should they be in GB's shoes. Nobody can know for sure. But, even given the disagreeable history of so many of them, I would bet that many here would be surprised. I, for one, would be much more concerned about all the things, other than the WoT, that they would do while in office.

[Miss Marple]

Exactly right in your criticism of me. I lost my temper and said ill-considered things to both you and OWK. I should apologize, and sincerely do so, as that was poor behavior on my part.

I am quite willing to admit that I was behaving badly, and I am sorry.