[Loscho_enews] State Budget

[Snocoheritage]

Below are two links to articles about the Governor's proposals that affect
heritage.  Read carefully and write of your concerns to your legislators..
http://www.leg.wa.gov/pages/home.aspx
I'm sure there is more to come...

Article from Crosscut.com
http://crosscut.com/2010/12/16/mossback/20453/Heritage-gets-hammered-in-Gregoire-s-budget-/

Tacoma New Tribune
State History Museum in Tacoma would close under Gregoire's plan

Advocates complained Wednesday that Gov. Chris Gregoire's austere budget has
dire consequences for Washington's future. They could say the same about the
state's past.
JORDAN SCHRADER; Staff writer
Published: 12/16/10 7:10 am | Updated: 12/16/10 7:56 am
The Washington State History Museum, a cornerstone of downtown Tacoma’s
redevelopment, would shut its doors under the two-year budget proposal.
Gregoire slated the museum for a cut of $2.9 million, more than half its
state funding. If state lawmakers approve the cut, the museum would have to
either raise dramatically more money from the public or mothball its
collections.
“It would be just another step backward for the city which seems to have
taken quite a few of them lately,” said David Nicandri, director of the
State Historical Society that runs the museum.
Nicandri was just glad the governor called for preserving enough funding for
a skeleton crew to keep the power on and secure the society’s buildings: the
downtown museum on Pacific Avenue, a research center in the Stadium District
and the State Capital Museum in Olympia.

Manuscripts, books, artifacts, photographs and other pieces of the state’s
history would remain, with the hope that the museum would reopen in better
fiscal times.

But the museum’s public programs across Western Washington would end. As
many as 42 of 44 jobs would be eliminated.
A similar shutdown would happen at Spokane’s Northwest Museum of Arts and
Culture. And in another blow to the state’s cultural work, the Washington
State Arts Commission would be eliminated.
Tacoma and the city’s legislative delegation expect a push to preserve the
museum.
Compared to the state’s $4.6 billion budget shortfall, the amount of money
it takes to run the facility is small. Roughly a third comes from nonstate
money, including private contributions, admission fees and memberships.
Its size and access to private money could improve the odds advocates will
succeed.
Another possibility, one Gregoire has suggested two years ago but lawmakers
rebuffed, is merging the state’s two historical societies that run the
Spokane and Tacoma museums.
Staff writer Kathleen Cooper contributed to this report.
Read more:
http://www.thenewstribune.com/2010/12/16/1467116/state-history-museum-in-tacoma.html#ixzz18IpA80ms

--
Karen Prasse
League of Snohomish County Heritage Organizations
info at snocoheritage.org
www.snocoheritage.org
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