Oh, the National Endowment for the Arts. Its grants to nude poets and eros-minded photographers have inspired otherwise moderate citizens to send fan mail to Sen. Jesse Helms. Now the NEA seems doomed to more bad press: Using endowment funds, three San Diego "conceptual artists" recently passed out $10 bills to Mexican immigrant workers.

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The three want the bills, each marked with their signatures, to circulate throughout the area. This, they believe, will demonstrate the contribution of migrant laborers to the U.S. economy and counter xeno-pho-bia.We decry this fleecing. But look at the bright side. Any NEA dollar going to a struggling day worker isn't going to a woman who spouts blank verse while covered with hollandaise sauce.

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