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This is a good intention gone wrong. Don't circulate it.
For more info see http://urbanlegends.about.com/culture/urbanlegends/library/weekly/aa052798.htm
or http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/petition/nea.htm
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On NPR's Morning Edition, Nina Totenberg said that if the Supreme Court
supports Congress, it is in effect the end of NEA (National Endowment
for the Arts).

This situation creates great concerns about Congressional funding for
creative arts in America, since NEA provides major support for NPR
(National Public Radio) & PBS (Public Broadcasting System), and numerous
other creative and performing arts. If NEA is lost or weakened, our
lives are similarly diminished.

In spite of the efforts of each station to reduce spending costs and
streamline their services, some government officials believe that the
funding currently going to these programs is too large a portion of
funding for something which is seen as not worthwhile. Currently, taxes
from the general public for PBS equal $1.12 per person per year, and the

National Endowment for the Arts equals $.64 a year. A January 1995
CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll indicated that 76% of Americans wish to keep
funding for PBS, third only to national defense and law enforcement as
the most valuable programs for federal funding.

Each year, the Senate and House Appropriations committees each have 13
subcommittees with jurisdiction over many programs and agencies. Each
subcommittee passes its own appropriation bill. The goal each year is to
have each bill signed by the beginning of the fiscal year, which is
October 1. (Now postponed about 2 weeks)

The only way that our representatives can be aware of the base of
support for PBS and funding for these types of programs is by making our
voices heard.

Please add your name to this list and forward it to friends who believe
in favor of what this stands for. This list will be forwarded to the
President of the United States, the Vice President of the United States,
and the Speaker Of The House, the office of which has in the past been
the instigator of the action to cut funding to these worthwhile
programs.

This petition is being passed around the Internet. Please add your name
to it so that funding can be maintained for the NEA, NPR & PBS.

Please keep this petition rolling. Do not reply to me.

Please sign and forward to others to sign. If you prefer not to sign
please send to the e-mail address indicated.

This is being forwarded to several people at once to add their names to
the petition. It won't matter if many people receive the same list as
the names are being managed. This is for anyone who thinks NPR/PBS is a
worthwhile expenditure of $1.12/year of their taxes, a petition follows.

If you sign, please forward on to others. If not, please don't kill it.

**** If you happen to be the 150th, 200th, 250th, etc., signer of this
petition, please forward a copy to:

(removed to protect the stupid)

This way we can keep track of the lists and organize them. Forward this
to everyone you know, and help us to keep these programs alive. Thank
you.

NOTE: It is preferable that you SELECT the entirety of this letter and
then COPY it into a new outgoing message, rather than simply forwarding
it.

In your new outgoing message, add your name to the bottom of the list,
then send it on. Or if option is available, do a SEND AGAIN.