Headline New York Times: Bush Is Said to Seek More Money for Arts

Administration officials, including White House budget experts, said that Mr. Bush would propose an increase of $15 million to $20 million for the coming fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1. That would be the largest rise in two decades and far more than the most recent increases, about $500,000 for 2003 and $5 million for this year….

Some conservatives, like Representative Tom Tancredo, Republican of Colorado, vowed to oppose the increase. Even without support from the government, he said, “art would thrive in America.”

Representative Louise M. Slaughter, a New York Democrat who is co-chairwoman of the Congressional Arts Caucus, said she was delighted to learn of Mr. Bush’s proposal.

“There’s nothing in the world that helps economic development more than arts programs,” Ms. Slaughter said. “It was foolish for Congress to choke them and starve them. We should cherish the people who can tell us who we are, where we came from and where we hope to go.”

Now what was that Bush said about holding spending to 4% increases? But I guess additional spending on economic development is acceptable.

Source: Steve S.