NEA Funding Should Be Pulled

One thing I’ve said for years is that government-funding for “the arts” is a bad idea and should be stopped. I have many reasons for this position, but the newest Obama scandal has actually provided me with yet ANOTHER reason to support my position.

Basically what happened is that NEA held a conference call, hosted by a White House advisor, and encouraged artists receiving taxpayer dollars to help sell Obama’s agenda items. They were urged to use their taxpayer funded art to push the President’s agenda.
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0909/27456.html

[Deputy Director of the White House Office of Public Engagement Buffy] Wicks later told the NEA artists listening in that “we’re going to come at you with some specific asks here.”

[Director of Communications for the NEA Yosi] Sergant followed by explaining he “would encourage you to pick something, whether it’s health care, education, the environment, you know, there’s four key areas that the corporation has identified as the areas of service.”

“My ask would be to apply artistic, you know, your artistic creative community’s utilities and bring them to the table,” Sergant said. “This is a chance for us to partner with the White House and the Corporation for National and Community Service along [with] the arts community in immediately affecting some change in our communities.”

So a government official with the NEA and a White House Deputy Director got together to politicize art for their boss’ benefit. Doesn’t this strike you as being just a LITTLE BIT wrong?

Just one of the many reasons why our government should not be giving taxpayer dollars to artists… some of that art is used to express a political view, which can be manipulated and capitalized upon by the politicians in power.