The Proposed 2007 Budget

I will put this bluntly: Once again the Arts is Treated Like A Read-Headed Stepchild.

From the Budget:

"NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS
The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) supports excellence in the arts, brings the arts to all Americans, and provides leadership in arts education. In 2007, the Budget proposes $124 million for programs and associated costs, including Challenge America: Reaching Every Community grants; and national initiatives, such as American Masterpieces: Three Centuries of Artistic Genius. The American Masterpieces initiative will continue to celebrate our Nation’s great artistic achievements with special touring programs in dance; visual arts; literature; choral music and musical theater; local presentations; in-school arts education programs; and student visits to exhibitions, presentations, and performances. NEA will fund projects that extend the reach of the arts by supporting works of artistic excellence and promoting projects in communities that have not had access to quality arts programming. These projects will be supported with public and private partners, including State arts agencies and regional arts organizations."

You read it... $124 million. Now... let's put that in perspective, shall we?

"The President's Defense Budget:

Provides $439.3 billion for the Department of Defense’s base budget—a 7-percent increase over 2006 and a 48-percent increase over 2001—to maintain a high level of military readiness, develop and procure new weapon systems to ensure U.S. battlefield superiority, and support our servicemembers and their families;
Requests $50 billion in 2007 bridge funding to support the military’s Global War on Terror efforts in Afghanistan and Iraq into 2007;
Expands the Predator Unmanned Aerial Vehicle force from 12 to 21 orbits, each supporting 3-4 aircraft, to increase sustained 24-hour surveillance capabilities;
Increases substantially the size and capabilities of the Special Operations Command;
Adds $173.3 million to continue developing and refining a New Triad of smaller nuclear forces, enhanced missile defenses, and improved command and control; and
Provides an additional 2.2-percent increase in basic pay."

The Budget for the movie "The Chronicles of Narnia" was $60 million dollars MORE than the entire Federal Budget from the NEA.

The message?

Go to the movies and KILL!