These are no longer flush times. And one realm in which the lack of prosperity may prove harmful is the area of government support of the arts. Because the expansive middle-class patronage of the l 960's is gone, there is a hope that the government, state and federal, will play the role of Maecenas. Yet government intervention is now more cautious and more critical. The need for state support is high. Performing arts companies are in dire straits. Artists are unemployed. Nonetheless, government officials at all levels are undecided as to how to proceed. In California, for example, after months of scrutiny by a legislative committee and after intensive study by the new governor and his aides, the proper role of the state in supporting the arts is still uncharted. A statute has been passed which is brief and vague, which provides the hint of a tone, but little more.