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May 16, 1999 Edition     [RETURN TO THE ARTICLES INDEX]

Every time we complain to our Federal "representatives" about the dismembering of our Cultural Endowments, the refrain is usually "But you must put our arts spending into perspective". Well now you can! This listing has been updated to reflect the cut of the NEA to $99,000,000. Since the Federal budget is always in flux, the following figures are intended only as a general guide. The latest entries to this list are added at the top. Feel free to check back periodically to see this list G R O W! Feel free as well, to copy, distribute, print or publish this list, I only ask that I be credited. Note that I am neither employed by or receive any funding from any arts agency.

1. The three failed launches of satellites from Titan IV rockets in the 8.5 months before June 1999 totaled $3,000,000,000 in losses, an amount that could have funded the NEA for nearly ONE THIRD OF A CENTURY (AP & Denver Post 5/5/1999)
   
2. The $40,000,000 settlement made to the Italian victims of the ski gondola killed by US flier's jockeying could have funded the NEA for more than HALF A YEAR (NPR Morning Edition 3/24/99)
   
3. On March 20,1999, The AP (read in the Denver Post) reported that The US Senate had voted to grant hog farmers an added $250,000,000 in aid to help them weather a free-market drop in prices. Such a subsidy could have matched our annulal NEA appropriation for TWO AND A HALF YEARS.
    
4. The $2.2 billion in aid sent to Central American countries recovering from a hurricane could have funded our own National Endowment for the Arts for TWENTY TWO YEARS
   
5. The $2.2 billion cash infusion made to keep Amtrack afloat  in 1997 could also have paid for TWENTY TWO YEARS of the cost-effective NEA.  (Troy Record 3-10-99)
   
6. In 1998, a BI Bomber crashed into Kentucky farm because of a faulty cockpit panel installation. The  $200,000,000 loss could have paid for TWO FULL YEARS of cultural funding
   
7. In 1999, the foreign aid we sent to Colombia, at  $289 million, could have been spent to fund THREE YEARS of cultural enterprises in The United States (Denver  Post 12/10/98)
   
8. The $160 Million in tax money that will be going to clean up the Summitville Mine could pay for NEA operation for ONE AND A HALF YEARS!  Rocky Mountain News 12/18/98
   
9. The proposal to spend $289 million in aid to Colombia could have funded art for Americans for nearly THREE YEARS. Denver Post 12/10/98
   
10. "B1B bomber crashes into Kentucky farm because of a faulty cockpit panel installation". Cost:  $200 million, enough to have funded The NEA for TWO FULL YEARS.
    
11. According to newscaster, John Stossel [5/26/1998] we are spending $100 million A DAY on our war on drugs. At that rate, one year in this "war" could have funded the NEA for THREE AND TWO THIRDS CENTURIES.
    
12. The $3 Billion line of credit we have extended to Indonesia could have funded America's NEA for THIRTY YEARS! Boulder Daily Camera 11-2-97
    
13. According to The Washington Post [10-18-97], the defense construction bill currently proposed, includes $1 BILLION in pork spending. That money could have funded The NEA for A DECADE.
    
14. The $335 BILLION to be spent in a Pentagon plan to upgrade 8499 aircraft [10-14-97 Knight-Ridder] could fund The NEA for over THREE THOUSAND YEARS!
    
15. The $5 BILLION to be spent on Minuteman missle modernization could fund the NEA for HALF A CENTURY!
    5-9-97 Denver Post.
    
16. The $12.3 BILLION that we anticipated spending on foreign aid in 1998 could have funded America's NEA for over ONE HUNDRED TWENTY YEARS. AP 9-5-97
    
17. The Pentagon estimates that the contrivercial NATO expansion will cost $27-35 BILLION. That figure could fund The NEA for TWO TO THREE CENTURIES.    Boulder Daily Camera 10-22-97
    
18. The $194 Million in Federal funding going to 300 farmers in just one Utah County for the Diamond Fork project (ABC News 6/4/1997) could pay for the NEA FOR ALMOST TWO YEARS
    
19. In a speech on the House floor in June of 1997, Rep. Musgrave lamented that we have spent $20 BILLION on the space station "without having sent a single bolt or nut into space". He could have added that this money would have been enough to have funded the NEA FOR MORE THAN TWO CENTURIES.
    
20. The cost of cleaning up the nuclear mess left at Colorado's Rocky Flats in Colorado (Denver Post 6/8/1997) may range to $8 BILLION, enough to have paid for the NEA for more than EIGHTY YEARS.
    
21. While many in Congress say there are not enough funds to support funding the arts, we have proposed spending $12.3 BILLION for FOREIGN aid projects. These funds could fund the NEA for the next ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY THREE YEARS!
    
22. Funding of foreign aid to just Israel and Egypt at $5.1 BILLION would be an amount sufficient for funding the NEA FOR MORE THAN HALF A CENTURY!
    
23. The $5 BILLION proposed (Denver Post 5/9/1997)for minuteman missile modernization in peacetime could fund our national arts programs for HALF A CENTURY!
    
24. The $5 BILLION in Pork spending (Sen. John McKain on C-Span 7/16/97) in the House Defense Appropriations Bill could fund the NEA at current levels for HALF A CENTURY!
    
25. Smoking is responsible for $50 billion in health costs to American society each year. If Americans had this money to spend on the arts, they could fund the NEA FOR THE NEXT FIVE THOUSAND YEARS (Senator Harkin Senate floor 7/23/1997)
    
26. and yet in 1996 we subsidized tobacco farmers to the tune of $97 million, enough to fund the NEA FOR A WHOLE YEAR. (Senator Durbin on the Senate floor 7/23/1997)
    
27. At $785 Million, the House' plan for crop subsidies for 1998 could fund the NEA for almost EIGHT YEARS
    
28. When the House approved purchase of 9 B2 Bombers that The Defense Dept. did not even ask for (1998 Defense spending bill), the combined cost of $10.8 Billion could fund the NEA FOR MORE THAN A CENTURY! (House debate 7/97)
    
29. Fixing the IRS' "Year 2000" computer programming problem, could have funded the NEA FOR FOUR DECADES!
    
    
30. Add another FOUR DECADES that the NEA could have been funded with the funds used to develop an IRS computer program that never worked! ($4 billion, Denver Post 2/10/1997)
    
    
31. The proposed federal anti-drug budget for 1998 could have funded the NEA FOR MORE THAN A CENTURY AND A HALF! ($16 billion)
    
    
32. The damage to taxpayer's pocketbooks through sexual harrassment in the military at an estimated $1 billion per year (San Antonio Express News 2/97) could fund the NEA FOR MORE THAN TEN YEARS!
    
    
33. Colorado's Las Animas-La Plata water project designed to help Native Americans, will cost an estimated $710 Million (Denver Post, 2/2/1997) The funds will help honor our obligation to help Native Americans preserve their heritage. The NEA, designed to help preserve our cultural heritage would be able to fund MORE THAN SEVEN YEARS OF ARTS PROJECTS
    
    
34. So-called "Demonstration highway projects" also known as "porkbarrel projects", funded at a rate of $4 billion a year (Denver Post 2/2/1997) could fund the NEA FOR MORE THAN FOUR DECADES!
    
    
35. The damage to taxpayers caused by drug use at an estimated $70 billion dollars yearly could pay for NEA funding for more than SEVEN CENTURIES! Of course there is ample evidence of the arts as an effective therapudic element.
    
    
36. February, 1997's spy satelite launch cost taxpayers $500 million, enough to have funded the NEA FOR HALF A DECADE
    
    
37. A single year's interest on our national debt could pay for THREE THOUSAND FOUR HUNDRED YEARS OF NATIONAL ARTS FUNDING at the current rate ($344 billion - NY Times 1/30/97)
    
    
38. The shipping costs alone for Desert Storm could have funded the NEA FOR MORE THAN A FULL CENTURY ($10 billion).
    
    
39. The money spent fighting Desert Storm could have funded the NEA FOR MORE THAN SEVEN HUNDRED YEARS ($70 billion).
    
    
40. 1994 federal and state tax breaks granted to the New York Mercantile Exchange could have paid for TWO YEARS of NEA funding! ($183.9 million. Reported in 1/97)
    
    
41. Soft money alone spent on the 1996 presidential race could have funded the NEA for TWO AND A HALF YEARS! (NY Times 1/30/97 $263 million)
    
    
42. Money budgeted for spending on world family planning between March and Sept. 1997 could pay for TWO YEARS of national arts funding back home! ($215 million, reported 1/31/1997)
    
    
43. The cost of current plans for building new generations of submarines and fighters could fund the NEA for ONE AND A HALF MILLENNIA!
    
44. The first of the two Government shutdowns (1996) in the battle between the parties and the branches of Gov, could have funded the NEA for EIGHT YEARS!
    
45. Flood zone property guarantees for those insisting on building their homes in flood planes could fund the NEA for TWENTY-FIVE CENTURIES ($250 Billion: Wall Street Journal 8/16/1995).
    
46. When Orange County went under financially, the amount of taxpayer dollars it owed creditors could have funded the NEA for SEVENTEEN YEARS! ($1.7bil)
    
47. 1995's Kansas wheat subsidy would fund the NEA for THREE YEARS, 3 MONTHS!
    
48. 1994 Congressional campaigns could have funded the NEA for A DECADE!
    
49. The cost of ONE B2 Bomber could fund the NEA for TWO DECADES!
    
50. The proposed INCREASE by Congress in 1997 Defense spending over the President's budget for 1997 would fund the NEA for A CENTURY AND A QUARTER ($12.4b proposed in May 1996)
    
51. Denver's New Airport costs could have funded the NEA for HALF A CENTURY!
    
52. Between 1989 and 1995, taxpayers paid subsidies of over $200 million to restore flood damaged recreational facilities such as golf courses and marinas. These funds could have funded the NEA FOR MORE THAN TWO YEARS!
    
53. Taxpayer spending for Denver Broncos' new proposed stadium could fund the NEA nationally for TWO YEARS ($180m)
    
54. New Prison Construction Proposals in 1995 could fund the arts for A FULL CENTURY!
    
55. The Amount of money our Gov. spent on Psychics to "help" the military could have funded the NEA for TWO AND A HALF MONTHS!
    
56. Agriculture grants in 1995 could fund the NEA for ONE AND A HALF CENTURIES!
    
57. Agriculture EXPORT grants in 1995 could fund the NEA for TWO CENTURIES!
    
58. The tax revenue lost in 1995 from Billionaires renouncing citizenship could support the NEA for THREE AND A HALF YEARS!
    
59. Just to place things in perspective, a single year of Defense Spending (based on the 1997 proposal by Congress) at at $266.7 Billion, could fund the arts for TWO THOUSAND, SIX HUNDRED NINETY FOUR YEARSat current levels!
    
60. Boston's new Big Dig "tunnel to the airport", at an estimated cost of $10 Billion could fund the NEA for MORE THAN A CENTURY!
    
61. The cost to taxpayers of Independant Counsel Investigators in the decade leading to 1996, at $100 million, could have funded the NEA FOR MORE THAN A FULL YEAR
    
62. Between 1992 & 1994, Government subsidy of logging, cost tax payers $1 Billion, enough to have paid for the NEA FOR MORE THAN A FULL DECADE
    
63. At a time when Congressmen warn that there is no money for the arts it proposed an increase in defense spending for 1996 that could have funded the NEA for FOUR DECADES!
    
64. In peacetime Congress proposed, in 1996, an increase in defense spending over the President's proposal that could have funded the NEA for A FULL CENTURY!
    
65. In 1995, a single aircraft carrier cost $440 million each year to operate, enough to have funded the entire national NEA subsidy for MORE THAN FOUR YEARS
    
66. The cost of a single aircraft carrier, at $4.5 Billion in 1995, could fund the NEA ALMOST HALF A CENTURY!
    

Comparison of Federal Tax Spending per citizen for Arts Projects: (1995 figures)

• France: $32 per year
• Germany: $27 per year
• United States: $ .38 per year