Morning read: state museum gets no respect
Sorry this is a little late, but it’s still morning, right?
This piece in the Times Union of Albany caught my eye…I have a couple museum people in the family, and I LIKE museums in general. And they’re important, like libraries and public parks, as part of our cultural and intellectual commons.
Here’s the scoop:
First there was the state’s budget-driven decision to close the facility on Sundays, despite concerns that it was the museum’s second-busiest day of the week, behind Saturday.
Now the museum stands to lose five curators who supporters say make up the heart of the operation. They argue that without experts in fields like mineralogy, paleontology or archaeology, any museum would likely have a hard time updating or creating new exhibits, or keeping track of the millions of specimens in its possession.
This is simply awful. Each of these curators has a research and curatorial mission that is important to New York State. Archaeology and paleontology are key to understanding New York’s rich history. New York has long been a leader in mineralogy – we have a very mineral-rich state. Clearly a cut made by people who have no idea what museums (and museum curators) do.
New York State could afford these curators 150 years ago. We should still be able to support them.
More money could be saved by taking away the health care and pensions of the governor, members of the senate and assembly, forward and retroactively.
We could also save money by getting rid of all the drug enforcement laws. But wait! That wouldn’t get rid of drug of choice of the governor. Power.
We could also get rid of NYRA.
@Pete K: And also getting rid of the double dipping enjoyed by many legislators.
It makes no sense to close it on the 2nd busiest day of the week rather than (using rocket science to figure it out) the slowest day.
This whole 2% cap is a shell game. When town and county budgets come up, people will see how they have been sold an illusion.
One of the favorite tricks Albany uses is to start a mandate with some funding to the counties. For arguments sake, let’s say 50% to start the mandate rolling. Then the next year funding falls to 40%, then 30%, then so on.
Now, I hear, the 2% cap will exclude pension costs, so it’s not really a 2% cap. The governor and the state legislators lie like rugs. Bait and switch is what they do.
Kinda comes down to everyone protecting their little rice bowl, doesn’t it? I won’t matter where they try and cut, someone will whine. Cuts HAVE to be made. We’re all going to suffer eventually.