Allison-
 
I share your frustration at the potential disaster of losing agencies like
CPB, NEA, NEH, IMS, and perhaps reduced funding for NSF.  It is interesting
that at a time when the government is interested in reducing "unfunded
federal mandates" that they are so willing to dump agencies which, by
rewarding excellence with a relative pittance of federal funds, help
institutions to self-impose standards and avoid the need for mandates.  For
instance, we can avoid federal laws mandating that collecting institutions
meet minimum collections care standards for cultural treasurers by
competatively funding "correct" conservation practices through IMS.
Program officers at NEH have for years talked about how they help to
improve the quality of EVERY exhibition (not just the 1/3 that get funded)
submitted for funding by forcing institutions to improve their proposed
project before submitting it for competative review.  Besides that, the
programs funded by these agencies add to the lives of every citizen--they
really do something concrete.
 
Still, nothing persuades like a specific example of how YOU benefitted from
these agencies--show how they made a specific difference to you.  Have you
been to an exhibition lately that was partially funded by NEA or NEH?  Seen
a PBS show or documentary that really got at an important issue--like
"Newton's Apple" helping to improve science literacy?  Write a personal
note about those experiences, and it will have a bigger impact than
discussing the "major contributions" of NEA that everyone inside the
beltway already knows about anyway.  You may be a small worm, but your
congressman will listen because all politics ARE local (a Tip O'Neil
paraphrase).  In fact, the less polished and more sincere your letter
sounds, the better.
 
Give it a shot!
 
>I appreciate your viewpoints and suggestions.  I feel so frustrated however,
>since I *don't* know all of the issues, I just *know* in my gut the NEA is
>important.... also, I don't work in a museum (yet, still looking...), and don't
>have any specific stories to relate on how the NEA has personally helped my
>institution.  I'm just a small worm in the big apple...
>I think the AAM call to arms would have upset me less, if it had maybe outlined
>some important NEA issues, past accomplishments, etc,  and outlined
> a letter we little, less experienced  people could have expounded on.  As it
>stands, I feel a little lost for words on this important topic. and I do care!
>Allison
>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>~
>                                Allison Smith
>                        University of Wisconsin Madison
>                   School of Library and Information Studies
>                            [log in to unmask]
>
>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>~
 
Richard Chute                           [log in to unmask]
 
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