DEPARTING ALEXANDER BLAMES NEA FOES FOR DIP IN REQUESTS.Byline: Judith Miller Judith Miller may refer to:
New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of Times Jane Alexander, confirming that she would resign as the chairwoman of the National Endowment for the Arts National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Independent agency of the U.S. government that supports the creation, dissemination, and performance of the arts. It was created by the U.S. by the end of the month, said Wednesday that arts groups had stopped seeking federal financing for provocative work because of congressional hostility toward her agency. In a telephone interview, Alexander lashed out at the congressional critics who have cut the agency's financing in half during her four-year tenure and forced dramatic reductions in staff and outreach programs. The House and Senate opponents of the endowment were motivated by ``politics and ideology,'' she said, rather than concern about controlling federal spending. Most of her agency's critics, she contended, were attempting to capitalize on Cap´i`tal`ize on` v. t. 1. To turn (an opportunity) to one's advantage; to take advantage of (a situation); to profit from; as, to capitalize on an opponent's mistakes s>. public outrage over a minuscule number of controversial projects that had received federal support and those critics had sometimes received campaign donations from conservative groups bent on Adj. 1. bent on - fixed in your purpose; "bent on going to the theater"; "dead set against intervening"; "out to win every event" bent, dead set, out to eliminating the agency. ``It was a case of: `I can get points for trashing the NEA NEA abbr. 1. National Education Association 2. National Endowment for the Arts NEA (US) n abbr (= National Education Association) → Verband für das Erziehungswesen ; I get points from the people who give away money for trashing the NEA; I can get headlines and air time for trashing the NEA,' '' Alexander said. Alexander said the persistent assault by conservatives had a chilling effect  This article or section may deal primarily with the U.S. and may not present a worldwide view. on the willingness of arts groups to apply for federal
aid. ``What has happened is that the applicants themselves are not
sending in proposals for provocative work because they want to get
funded,'' she said.
Alexander said artists were ``very astute'' and so were now seeking support for controversial work elsewhere. On top of this, she pointed out, in response to several controversial grants, Congress eliminated federal support for most individual artists, except writers. She predicted that while the agency's conservative critics, such as the House majority leader Dick Armey, R-Texas, and Rep. Tom DeLay, R-Texas, would continue trying to eliminate the agency, it would survive, thanks to growing bipartisan support. She said said that she had given the White House several recommendations for a successor. |
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