Just Say No to Fiscal Restraint

The NYT reports that President Bush is announcing a 15-20 million dollar increase for the National Endowment of the Arts, an increase of 12-16 percent increase and still below a the $176 million dollars it was given in 1992.

What really caught my eye is this comment by Rep. Louise M. slaughter (D-NY):

"There's nothing in the world that helps economic development more than arts programs"

What? Does a Shakespearean festival promote economic development because of all the brie and white wine consumed? Do exhibitions of homoerotic photography by Mapplethorpe get people out to buy more. . .condoms? I seriously doubt that the economic effects outweigh the costs of the programs by much.

C'mon anybody got any good theories about what she means?