Allison:
 
          I'm kind of confused by your posting about the AAM request
          for letters to support the endowments. I can't imagine being
          "disgusted" because AAM didn't compose the letters and
          simply ask for signatories. This would have the same effect
          and impact as a petition of museum professionals and boards.
          "I work at a museum, and I don't want you to cut funding." I
          don't think that form letters, particularly from people in
          the Museum field, will cut much ice with the anti-endowment
          gang.
 
          Beyond this, if this funding is so important, isn't it worth
          the effort to compose letters? If that's too much to expect
          from the constituency most closely identified with the
          endowments, then maybe the Republicans are correct: the
          money may just not be so important.
 
          I am also wondering about the pros and cons of doing "arts
          block grants" to the states, along the same lines that the
          Republicans are proposing with regard to various "welfare"
          programs. I haven't heard anyone mention this about arts
          funding. Normally, I would think that that might be a
          duplication of efforts, with many state offices doing what
          one Federal office did. However, since the early seventies,
          every state (I think) has had its own arts agency. This has
          the obvious -- to me -- benefit of letting the states
          decide what their arts funding priorities are, folk arts, or
          symphonies, or museums....
 
 
 
          Maybe this would ameliorate these troublesome ideologues
          among the Republicans.
 
          Eric Siegel
          [log in to unmask]
          New York Botanical Garden