Cash-Strapped States Cut Arts Funding

More wonderful news from Bush's Amerikka!

Cash-Strapped States Cut Arts Funding

WASHINGTON - Cash-strapped state governments have slashed funding for theaters, museums and performance groups by nearly one quarter, while federal spending on the arts has edged up slightly.

Congress increased funding for the National Endowment for the Arts to $122.5 million, up from $115.7 million, for the fiscal year that began Oct. 1.

Three states showed the biggest declines, the organization reported. California, normally one of the biggest contributors to the arts, dropped its spending from $20.3 million in 2003 to $1.9 million for 2004. Michigan's arts budget was cut nearly in half, from $22.5 million to $11.8 million. Florida, in 2003 the biggest spender on the arts after New York, went down from $30 million to $6.7 million.

Sums contributed to the arts by local communities, corporations and individuals are much larger than government appropriations. Unofficial estimates for these sums often lump together money for the arts and for the humanities.
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http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=529&ncid=529&e=12&u=/ap/20031230/ap_en_ot/arts_funding_4

So Florida has dropped its arts budget from 30 mil to 6.7? Ah, for the land of Jeb, the heartbeat of American culture and class!

Perhaps Floridians might consider dropping a line to the Florida Arts Council and ask them how such a distinguished body, one in which seven of the 15 members are appointed by the Jebbo himself, managed to stand by with their thumbs up their collective butts while their pal gutted the arts budget like a flounder supper.

Here's the URL for their website:
http://www.florida-arts.org/about/aboutfloridaartscouncil.htm
Phone and fax numbers are provided, as well as a list of appointees to the FAC.