One pork project down, 363 more to go.

I agree with cutting it out completely. There is still the:

National Endowment for the Arts which is:

a public agency dedicated to supporting excellence in the arts, both new and established; bringing the arts to all Americans; and providing leadership in arts education. Established by Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government, the Endowment is the nation's largest annual funder of the arts, bringing great art to all 50 states, including rural areas, inner cities, and military bases.

http://arts.endow.gov/grants/recent/index.html

You can go on their website and see all the grants they have given. The people who are in immediate, desperate need of help arent getting endowed with all that money on a regular basis, and therefore it should be cut out of the stimulus package.

I'm interested to hear what other cuts will be made.

Just add people who work at museums, theaters, art centers, swimming pools, zoos and parks to the growing list of people who are out of jobs.

And scratch museums, theaters, art centers, swimming pools, zoos and parks as sources of revenue and as places that will lure people into towns where they might have frequented restaurants and stores.

this is sad.

I think in light of everything, this is the only way to go.

I had forgotten about that endowment CaterpillarGirl, very good point!

Stephley I have a question and I don't mean it as snide or anything. I'm genuinely curious what your thoughts are on this. Mainly because I'm torn on this, part of me would love to see the arts supported but on the other hand I'm not sure it's the governments "job" to do so. Anyway, my question is, is the government just supposed to provide jobs for everyone? I know that's not coming out right, I just am not sure how to word it w/out it soudning snarky. I love the arts, we get zoo and museum memberships regularly and when we go on trips we do our very best to either visit the local zoo or at least one museum in the town we're visitng. So again, I'm torn. Can you elaborate on your thoughts on your position?

No the government isn't supposed to provide jobs for everyone but this economic crisis is hitting every facet of society. Using 50-million tax dollars right now to keep museums, parks, zoos etc. open means they'll be there when the pressure eases and people, towns, cities, corportions are able to start paying for these things again. It means the people who work at those places won't join the unemployment line and that when money starts to flow again, we won't have to spend the money to reinvent the wheel and get these places up and running again.

Close parks projects and pools and you end up with bored unemployed teenagers wandering the streets - a really bad idea in the summer.

steph, national endowment gives tens of thousands away in grants.....they got it covered.

This stimulus has no way out of all of these programs being defendant on government money. Once it is started, the ball is rolling and we cannot stop it. So you start giving this money, and when the economy turns back up, then they will have some other excuse as to why the government needs to keep giving them money. It's not like its a one and done.

The National Endowment is something different - it isn't tasked with keeping museums or zoos or park projects open.
And it would require extra funding to meet new demands.

Zoos and Park projects (I thought) were the responsibility of the individual states. I know that Federal monies go to NATIONAL parks (Like Yellowstone, redwood etc) but the state parks are funded with State money. Am I wrong on that? If not, if the states are doing OK, then they have their own budgets and monies to put into the parks, zoos etc. I believe those will keep running, maybe with smaller staffing etc, but they'll still be there when this is over.

I am sad that it will mean many jobs for teenagers (great point about that Stephley). However, I feel that it's more important for the parents and adults in society to work and support their families than it is for the teenager that wants money for gas for his car. (And don't misinterpret that to mean that I think ALL teenagers want money for that purpose, I know there are some that help their families.)

Thank you, Steph. I see your point, unfortunately I see the other side too so I'm still torn lol. I appreciate your input.

California is not doing okay: it's forcing state workers to take unpaid leave, closing govt offices during the week and may hold off on sending tax refunds. Museums, zoos etc are not going to be high priorities for some time.

Nice talking to you Kim.

I would rather have unemployed teens walking around than unemployed adults anyday. they can go to the mall.

In total agreement, CG...give much more money away and it might start going to people who shouldn't be going into the arts in the first place (already does in some cases ).

Not all states are in trouble. Some were smarter than others and have been balancing their budgets so they don't have deficits.

I think the states that have deficits (mine is one of them) should work towards balancing their budgets rather than ask for government bailouts.

California has gotten themselves into this problem.
California spends tens of millions of dollars aiding people with welfare outside the federal system. Pays 100% for illegal immigrants to have their babies here. Those that they will continue to support their entire life. The liberal agenda and refusal to cut spending is their problem. The federal government should not bail them out. They need to cut spending which no one in the CA legislature will do.

The malls where stores like Circuit City, Linens & Things, Steve & Barrys have closed and stores like Rite-Aid, Claire's, Blockbuster and Pac Sun are hanging by a thread?

"The National Endowment is something different - it isn't tasked with keeping museums or zoos or park projects open.
And it would require extra funding to meet new demands. "

Yup, 100% true.

Stephley, some stores make it like Bed Bath and Beyond and some stores dont like Linens and things BOTH of whom are in my mall.

Circuit city, closing...Best Buy...staying open

Rite Aid closing, CVS WALGREENS staying open

Claires closing....Spencers,Hot topic staying open

Pac Sun closing Aeropostole (sp?) Hollisters, Abercrombie staying open

THATS BUSINESS.

I think that depends on where you are, though. All the Circuit Citys in my neighborhood are closing, along with Spencer's, Hot Topics, etc.

but thats business as usual. I worked at the mall for 12 years, stores came and went. you cannot blame that entirely on the economy.

IMO the problem is "the arts" and everything that it encompasses is not generally viewed as a high job producing industry when in actuality it is. Politicians worry too much about picking philosophical fights with particular artists they may disagree with and miss the forest for the trees.

Not only is it a high job producing industry by its very nature it will attract more tourism and make everyone's life involved richer.

The number of stores that are closing at this time can be blamed on the economy. I've been around long enough to be able to tell what is regular ebb and flow of business life and what is exceptional.

steph, I dont agree.

I can live with that.

LMAO!

I'm starting to think detectors of the stimulus just don't think the economy is all that bad and are thinking this recession is like other recent ones and a rebound will be right around the corner.

That's the impression I get Mydiadem.

I meant to type detractors, oops.

As a detractor, I will have to say I think you're wrong. We know the country is in bad shape. We just have a different idea about how to get us out of this mess. Increasing government spending isn't going to help us, it will only cause inflation to skyrocket, and keep us in this mess longer. Here's a simple analogy: You get hurt and can't work, but the bills keep coming in. Where do you get money to pay the bills? You could go to the bank and ask for a loan, but why would the bank loan you money, when you aren't able to work and repay it? Even if you somehow get the money, now you have an additional bill to repay, and you're still not working.

Most economists would disagree with you that increasing government spending isn't going to help us create jobs.

And the answer to your analogy is to have short term disability insurance

Mydiadem, how do you respond to Dave's claim that run away inflation will hurt the U.S. economy?

I think that the risk of run away inflation is not as great of the risk of not doing anything. Firstly, inflation will become a problem if people stop buying our debt. That hasn't happened and I don't think it will happen based on all masses we could sell at auction in January. Secondly, I'm not completely saying inflation isn't going to be a problem. Of course it will with interest rates so low and a huge national debt. But the risks of not passing a spending package, I believe, are of greater proportions.

Inflation has been a huge problem over the last three years with unnaturally low interest rates propping up artificial growth, which lead to a very real bust. In order to see this in action globally, one only needs to look at the value of the dollar against other currencies. The inflation of our currency (as a measure of our debt and printing) has made it much less valuable currency to those abroad/

Domestic consumption of U.S. debt has slowed considerably, which says quite a bit, and to think China can continue to afford a trillion dollars of our debt after undergoing their own economic crisis is awfully brave.

We're not just off of work because we're hurt: we're deeply in debt, we're hurt, the bills are coming in and the job we thought was going to carry us through is being phased out so we need to get ourselves retrained for the future fast. We need multi-level solutions.

Roosevelt made the arts a top priority. This is extremely sad. And no CG "tens of thousands" does not "cover it." But it's quite clear that most people on this thread could care less whether the arts survive or not.

Celebrating that people that are in the arts are going to be out of a job is disgusting.

Gross, why can't we be more like France. This is an enforcement of America's reputation of Bush-era ignorance. I wish Obama had been able to push through to make us a more cultured country.

Harmony, I care about the arts, but i dont think they should be financed by the stimulus. thats all.

No one is celebrating people being out of a job...no one.

Harmony, I care about the arts, but i dont think they should be financed by the stimulus. thats all.

No one is celebrating people being out of a job...no one.

Hello CaterpillerGirl,

Question: Do you think math and science should be financed by the stimulus?

My Answer is yes they should and so should the arts. Without supporting the arts we are taking away one of the most proven education tools to foster critical and creative thinking. The question of the stimulus putting money into the arts goes much farther supporting pictures on the wall, or controversial art installations or beautiful music. It even goes beyond the jobs it both directly and indirectly supports. It would support our entire way of culture and particularly our concept of educating our future generations so they can be competitive in the global economy. With out one of the finest tools to teach critical and creative thinking we further hamper or kids, grandkids and so on. Not only have we put several generations in debt we are no trying to take away their hope of every getting out of it.

Even GM recently apologized for there lack of creative forward thinking when they were asking The Senate for 18 billion and stated that they would use the monies if granted with emphasis on creative forward thinking so they would not get left behind again. How are they going to find employees in the future if The Arts are not supported across the board, not just through the NEA, which is and has long been under attack as well.

My two cents...