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The Supreme Court has agreed to hear the issue of whether public funding to an artist can be linked
with the idea of whether the art is 'decent.' As reported by Nina Totenberg on the National Public Radio (NPR) show Morning Edition recently, the National Endowment for the Arts
(NEA) may
be in serious trouble if the
Supreme Court supports Congress. Then, there's the question of Congressional funding: Funding for NPR/NEA &
the Public Broadcasting System (PBS). PBS, NPR, and the arts are all facing major cutbacks in funding. If NEA is lost or weakened, our lives are similarly diminished. In spite of the efforts of each station to reduce pending costs and streamline their services, some government officials believe that the funding currently going to these programs is too large a portion of funding for something which is seen as not worthwhile. Currently, taxes from the general public for PBS equal $1.12 per person per year, and the National Endowment for the Arts equals $.64 a year. A 1995 CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll indicated that 76% of wish to keep funding for PBS, third only to national defense and law enforcement as the most programs for federal funding. Each year, the Senate and House Appropriations committees each have 13 subcommittees with jurisdiction over many programs and agencies. Each subcommittee passes its own appropriation bill. The goal each year is to have each bill signed by the beginning of the fiscal year, which is October 1. The only way that our representatives can be aware of the base of support for PBS and funding for these types of programs is by making our voices heard. If you think that $1.12/year is a worthwhile expenditure for commercial-free television, please contact your congressional representatives (Bill Frist, M.D., Fred Thompson, and John Duncan, Jr.) to voice your concerns. |