Charity Case

Art critic Christopher Knight made an impassioned plea for us to all dig into our pockets for a worthy cause (“You Get What You Pay For,” Dec. 26). The name of this charity? The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA).

Note that the word “charity” (my word, not his) is chosen carefully. Think of an organization whose primary concern is how to dole out funds to other worthy endeavors. I would guess the United Way or the Red Cross might spring to mind. Unfortunately for these charities, they have not figured out a way to get their hands directly into the taxpayer’s pocket like the NEA has.

Since 1965, the organization has been subsidized by each of us. It is extremely elitist and arrogant to tell the common man on the street that he needs to have art defined for him and that some federal agency of experts (presumably with credentials rivaling Knight’s) needs to decide exactly which art deserves public funding.

PETER S. WELLS

Thousand Oaks