Rep. Jeff Flake chastises Grammy pork

WASHINGTON, Feb. 14 (UPI) -- Conservative U.S. Rep. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., railed Monday against $150,000 given to the Grammy Foundation in the 2005 federal budget.

The non-profit music educational group is an offshoot of the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences Inc., which held its annual recording industry Grammy awards ceremony Sunday.

According to the group's website, the Grammy foundation was founded in 1989 to cultivate music awareness and appreciation.

But Flake said giving the organization money represents little more than spending taxpayer dollars on the activities of wealthy music industry insiders.

"I love music and I've got nothing against music appreciation, but why should taxpayers fund an organization composed of millionaire singers, producers, and executives?" Flake said in a statement Monday.