nd science are the most valuable subjects to learn is carried over in the budget debate. Schools are experiencing budget cuts which affect what America's youth will learn. Decisions on how money is being spent are being made with the state and national goals in mind. This means that, whether the President or governors meant it to be or not, fine arts education is not seen as an essential part of the curriculum by some. As Robert Floyd, the executive director of the Texas Music Educators Association put it: "when dollars are tight, sometimes people in decision-making positions view fine arts as a frill" (Reyes and Warren, 3).
             The use of public funds on the arts has been under controversy recently. The budget for the National Endowment for the Arts is under scrutiny because of its financial support for controversial art projects like Robert Mapplethorpe's series of erotic photographs and Andres Serrano's crucifix submerged in a jar of urine. The financing of these kinds of art projects with taxpayer money has left a bad impression on the public. It has made the whole
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