Good Magazine's blog is reporting that Quincy Jones is going to "beg" President Obama to create a cabinet-level position for the arts. I know there are those who will say the post wouldn't matter, but I do think that creating a new Secretary of the Arts would give greater attention to arts and culture than the N.E.A. provides.

Of course, the NEA does about as fine a job with getting attention to the arts as FEMA did with getting help to New Orleans. But maybe this new, competent government could maybe actually improve government's standing with the arts. I know that there are more popular uses for government money, but directing people's attention in a specific direction doesn't cost much. Especially now that the government has a website that works.

There's a petition to create a Secretary of the Arts here.