Inaugural Performers

Times critic Michael Phillips’ snide dismissal of inaugural participants Ricky Martin, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Wayne Newton is silly, juvenile and transparently liberal (“Waiting for Bush to Set a Beat,” Jan. 20).

These undeniably successful artists make a product that millions of taxpayers have willingly paid for with net proceeds from their paychecks. Phillips obviously prefers the kind of NEA artist that makes a product that millions of taxpayers are forced to pay for and very few would support out of their own pocket.

If I want to read opinion pieces with this kind of biased tone, I can find it on The Times’ front page.

JOHN CROWLEY

Redondo Beach