
New Mexico Music Educators Association
ADVOCACY
4/18/08
3/5/08
Advocate Against President Bush's Proposed Cuts to
Arts Funding!
Recently, President Bush sent his FY
2009 budget request to Congress, including yearly
appropriations recommendations for the Department of Education's
Arts in Education programs, the National
Endowment for the Arts (NEA), National Endowment for the
Humanities (NEH), Office of Museum Services (OMS), and
Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB).
MENC wants you to know that the President has proposed substantial
cuts to key arts programs. Specifically, for the eighth
consecutive year, President Bush has
asked Congress to eliminate funding for the Department of
Education's Arts in Education programs which include such staples
as model arts programs, teacher
professional development and arts programs for at-risk youth.
The President has also requested $16.3 million in FY 2009 cuts for
the NEA (from $144.7 million to $128.4
million) as well as cuts lowering the NEH budget from $144.7 to
$144.3 million.
MENC encourages you to
contact your Members of Congress
to let them know that you do not condone these cuts. Congress has
the power to set its own priorities and
challenge President Bush's proposed funding levels, but your help
will be needed.
Make your voice heard by writing or calling your congressional
representatives and urging them to increase funding for music
education and the other arts by
restoring designated monies for arts in education programs in the
FY 2009 budget. MENC highly recommends that when writing, you
add your own personal thoughts and
stories about why music education is important to you and to your
communities.
Thank you for your continued support of music education!
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