Drop NEA Funding

In his letter of Feb. 22, Brian Bemel asks us to write Congress and support the National Endowment for the Arts. I’d like to ask taxpayers to request that funding be deleted. While there are many worthwhile accomplishments, there are three main problems.

First, it places government in the position of deciding what is art, which raises questions of censorship (horrors) when someone doesn’t receive the grant expected or someone else doesn’t like the project and questions why money was spent on it.

Second, we, as wage earners and taxpayers, are quite capable of deciding what organizations are worth our charitable contributions without government interference, whether it be local city councils or the Feds.

Third, the federal government is running a massive deficit and has no business spending money it doesn’t have. Besides, government shouldn’t force the rest of us to pay for someone’s pet project.

Mr. Bemel could provide a list of local organizations and ask for voluntary contributions, rather than demanding taxpayers fund another bureaucracy.

KATHY SILVERI

Channel Islands Beach