Take heart, Tar Heels. It could be worse. And of course things are bad everywhere. Consider Washington, for example. Americans for the Arts’ ARTSblog reported 8/1 that “In mid-July, the appropriations subcommittee that oversees funding for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) met to approve a funding bill for fiscal year 2014, which begins on October 1st. Their bill calls for the NEA to receive a 49% cut totaling $71 million, which would bring the agency’s budget down to $75 million, a level not seen since 1974!”
The full appropriations committee met on 7/31, and things turned acrimonious. (Fancy that.) Our own pro-arts & pro-ed representative, David Price, co-sponsored an amendment to keep funding where it is for the NEA and NEH. It went down by a party-line vote, following which the group left town for recess. They need a break.
We can of course talk with our reps while they are home. Some of them will probably listen. Details: http://blog.artsusa.org/2013/08/01/congressional-appropriators-consider-cutting-nea-in-half/?utm_source=feedly#sthash.xAEhkYnj.bnMsHfKB.dpuf.
And do you know that there are no chairs at the NEA or NEH? See http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/08/arts/design/vacancies-hamper-agencies-for-arts.html?_r=0.
Comments? Outrage? Give a hoot?
