Government Should Not Finance Art
By David Holcberg (Times Leader Wilkes-Barre, February 7, 2004)

If President Bush manages to increase the budget of the National Endowment for the Arts, he will not help but harm the arts.
 
The reason is that government involvement in the arts politicizes artistic creation and often produces not art but propaganda. What kind of propaganda? It depends on which politician happens to be in power and pulling the strings. While conservatives would try to promote Christian values, for example, leftists would try to publicize Marxist ideals.
 
Government involvement in art also damages the most independent and creative artists, who refuse to compromise their artistic integrity for government handouts. These brave artists must face unfair competition from the government's favorites, many of whom are mediocrities who would never make it on their own without funds appropriated from taxpayers.

If Bush really wants to help the arts, he should just leave them alone.