Massachusetts House Speaker Thomas Finneran stepped into the lion’s den this week, appearing at an arts conference to explain the legislature’s decision to slash the state arts budget, and to advise activists on how to avoid future cuts. “He admitted most politicians still regard the arts as ‘elitist’ and added ‘the two most compelling areas for us’ are education and health care… Finneran also noted legislators break down budget appropriations into three levels of funding: ‘essential,’ which he said is ‘in the eye of the beholder’; ‘desirable’; and ‘Nice, but…’ This is not a good time to be part of that third group.”