This is drastic, scary, and horrible.

According to Backstage.com, the Republican Study Committee, an advisory panel "composed of over 100 Republican members of the House of Representatives," has recommended "ending all funding for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB)." The reporter notes that "the study indicates that the lost federal funds could be made up through private sources" and quotes an emailed "action alert" from the advocacy group Americans for the Arts, which states "the RSC was using the devastation of Hurricane Katrina as a rationale for the recommended cuts: 'Needless to say, cutting this funding would not even make a dent in the need for hurricane relief, and at the same time it would deprive the affected areas of much-needed help in rebuilding their vital cultural sectors." While the report makes no mention of Hurricane Katrina, the document's name, "Operation Offset," references the group's "effort to find savings in the federal budget to pay for hurricane relief."

It comes from a reputable source, too. This would be such a disgrace for the richest nation on earth. Man does not live by bread alone. We need to feed the spirit with the arts, including music. I suggest writing or calling your Senators and Representatives.