The NEA was government's way of colonizing and regulating an area of autonomous production and distribution. By relying on the government for funding, we must meet some one else's criteria for what an artist is. The degree to which we as artists are able to create work and exhibit in the world, to sell art, to have our work be written about, to gain commissions, has to do with someone else's criteria. It is normal if uncomfortable for artists to deal with judges in one form or another and yes those judges give us money and respond to our work and they make suggestions as to how we should improve the work. I would rather have as many different segments of society as is possible be aware of my work and respond to it and support it in whatever way possible.
All bureaucracies become inefficient eventually.
I dunno, maybe it's time to start thinking about better ways to spend the money rather than fighting for a system that isn't working well anyway. I think it's crazy to expect the gov't, especially this present congress, to help support anything but the most conservative forms of art. In a perfect world, all artists would get the funding they need, but I think it's unrealistic to expect that from Washington. There is not a politician in the land that will try to reform welfare, food stamps, taxes etc., and then send money to a bunch of artists in New York, unfortunately. Plus, art doesn't work well in a capitalist society.