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." After the Robert Mapplethorpe "scandal" not so long
ago, Congress passed a
law that for art to receive public money via the National Endowment
for the Arts, it must be deemed decent. On NPR Morning Edition this
morning, Nina Tottenberg said that if the Supreme Court supports
Congress, it is in effect the end of NEA. Then, there's the
question of Congressional funding: Funding for NPR / NEA & PBS.
This petition is being passed around the Internet. Please add your
name to it to support funding for the NEA, NPR & PBS. This is
being forwarded to several people at once to add their names to the
petition. It won't matter if many people receive the same list as
the names are being managed. This is
for anyone who thinks NPR/PBS is a worthwhile expenditure of
$1.12/year
of their taxes. The petition follows.
If you sign, please forward on to others. If not, please don't kill
it-send it to the email address listed here:
Petition: funding. In spite of the efforts of each station to
reduce spending 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 that 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 $0.64 a year.
A January 1995 CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll indicated that 76% of
Americans wish to keep funding for PBS, third only to national
defense and law enforcement as the most valuable 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.
Please add your name to this list and forward it to friends if you
believe
in what we
stand for. This list will be forwarded to the President of the United
States, the Vice
President of the United States, and Rep. Newt Gingrich (R), who is the
instigator
of the action to cut funding to these worthwhile programs.
* If you happen to be the 150th, 200th, 250th, etc., signer of this
petition, please
forward a copy to:
wein2688@blue.univnorthco.edu.
This way we can keep track of the lists and organize them. Forward this to
everyone you know, and help us to keep these programs alive. Thank you.
NOTE: It is preferable that you SELECT the entirety of this letter and
then COPY
it into a new outgoing message rather than simply forwarding
it.
Or if option
is available, do a SEND AGAIN.
