Why They Always Cut the Arts First
The pattern is so consistent that it barely qualifies as news anymore. A budget shortfall is announced. Cuts must be made. The first programs on the chopping block are the arts: music education, public galleries, theater grants, community arts funding.
The justification is always the same: these are “nonessential.” They are “nice to have” but not “need to have.” In a time of scarcity, resources must be directed toward things that are measurable, practical, and immediately necessary.