Post by Machiavelli on Jun 2, 2011 12:43:29 GMT -6
Dear museum board members and supporters,
Thank you for spending time with me this morning to go over the looming fiscal crisis facing our museums.
As I explained, our museum system is funded through two sources – state general fund dollars and fees/collections by the Secretary of State’s Commercial Division. Last year, the museum’s total budget was approximately $4.6 million. Of that, $2.7 million came from state general fund dollars and supplemented by $1.7 million from our office.
Under the administration’s proposed budget, state general fund dollars allocated to our museums will be cut $800,000 - approximately 30 percent. That was bad enough, but the House cut an additional $635,000 from the museum budget. Simply put, museum funding from state general fund dollars has been cut more than in half.
In addition, the secretary of state’s operating budget also was cut. Funds from fees/collections that we have used in the past to supplement the museum budgets now will have to be used elsewhere.
We need every museum advisory board member and friend of the museum to reach out to their local legislators. They MUST hear from each of you how important these museums are to our communities. We recognize that legislators face serious challenges to balance the budget, but there is no way this office can sustain a 55 percent cut and maintain our museum system.
The budget bill is now under consideration by the Senate Finance Committee. This is our last opportunity to get funding restored. Please understand that these senators are not to blame for the cuts made by the administration and House of Representatives
Please look at the list of members on the Senate Finance Committee attached to this e-mail and contact them. E-mails are certainly good, but phone calls are better. Feel free to send this to your e-mail distribution list and engage others in this effort.
The message to the senators on this committee – and to all legislators – is very simple: restore the $1.4 million in state general fund dollars to the secretary state’s museums budget. Without a restoration of funding, museums will close. These museums are important from an educational and cultural standpoint, but also provide important gathering places in very rural areas.
I’ve also attached a chart that illustrates these proposed cuts.
It’s never pleasant to deliver this kind of news, but I know how passionate you are about our museums and in all fairness felt it important that you know where we stand in the budget process.
Thank you for all that you do to support these museums which we all value so much.
Tom Schedler
Secretary of State
225-922-2880
**********************************************
Museum Budget
Current Budget Administration Cuts House Appropriation Cuts Cuts Due to Unfunded Mandated Items * Net Budget After Cuts
State General Fund $2,669,834 $840,264 $635,174 $1,194,396
Overcollections $1,851,420 $1,005,079 $846,341
$4,521,254 $2,040,737
*************************************************
Senate Finance Committee
Senator Michael J. "Mike" Michot (Chairman)
P.O. Box 80372
Lafayette, LA 70598
(337) 262-1332
lasen23@legis.state.la.us
Senator Lydia P. Jackson (Vice-Chairman)
330 Marshall Street
Suite 706
Shreveport, LA 71101
(318) 676-7029
jacksonl@legis.state.la.us
Senator John A. Alario, Jr.
1063 Muller Parkway
Westwego, LA 70094
(504) 340-2221
alarioj@legis.state.la.us
Senator Sharon Weston Broome
P. O. Box 52783
Baton Rouge, LA 70892
(225) 359-9352
lasen15@legis.state.la.us
Senator Sherri Smith Cheek
9973 Mansfield Road
Keithville, LA 71047
(318) 687-4820
smithcheek@legis.state.la.us
Senator Jack Donahue
3030 East Causeway Approach
Mandeville, LA 70448
(985) 727-7949
donahuej@legis.state.la.us
Senator Eric LaFleur
P.O. Box 617
Ville Platte, LA 70586
(337) 363-5019
lafleure@legis.state.la.us
Senator Gerald Long
P.O. Box 151
Winnfield, LA 71483
(318) 628-5799
longg@legis.state.la.us
Senator Edwin R. Murray
1540 N. Broad St.
New Orleans, LA 70119
(504) 945-0042
murraye@legis.state.la.us
Senator Karen Carter Peterson
1215 Prytania Street
Suite 364
New Orleans, LA 70130
(504) 568-8346
petersonk@legis.state.la.us
Senator Mike Walsworth
4007 White's Ferry Rd
Suite A
West Monroe, LA 71291
(318) 396-5499
walsworthm@legis.state.la.us
Senator Dan Claitor (Interim Member)
7520 Perkins Road
Suite 170
Baton Rouge, LA 70808
(225) 765-0206
claitord@legis.state.la.us
Senator Dan "Blade" Morrish (Interim Member)
119 W. Nezpique Street
Jennings, LA 70546
(337) 824-3979
morrishd@legis.state.la.us
Senator Willie L. Mount (Interim Member)
P.O. Box 3004
Lake Charles, LA 70602
(337) 491-2016
lasen27@legis.state.la.us
Senator Francis Thompson (Interim Member)
P.O. Box 68
Delhi, LA 71232
(318) 878-9408
thompsof@legis.state.la.us
Senate Finance Committee senate.legis.state.la.us/Finance/Assignments.asp
Thank you for spending time with me this morning to go over the looming fiscal crisis facing our museums.
As I explained, our museum system is funded through two sources – state general fund dollars and fees/collections by the Secretary of State’s Commercial Division. Last year, the museum’s total budget was approximately $4.6 million. Of that, $2.7 million came from state general fund dollars and supplemented by $1.7 million from our office.
Under the administration’s proposed budget, state general fund dollars allocated to our museums will be cut $800,000 - approximately 30 percent. That was bad enough, but the House cut an additional $635,000 from the museum budget. Simply put, museum funding from state general fund dollars has been cut more than in half.
In addition, the secretary of state’s operating budget also was cut. Funds from fees/collections that we have used in the past to supplement the museum budgets now will have to be used elsewhere.
We need every museum advisory board member and friend of the museum to reach out to their local legislators. They MUST hear from each of you how important these museums are to our communities. We recognize that legislators face serious challenges to balance the budget, but there is no way this office can sustain a 55 percent cut and maintain our museum system.
The budget bill is now under consideration by the Senate Finance Committee. This is our last opportunity to get funding restored. Please understand that these senators are not to blame for the cuts made by the administration and House of Representatives
Please look at the list of members on the Senate Finance Committee attached to this e-mail and contact them. E-mails are certainly good, but phone calls are better. Feel free to send this to your e-mail distribution list and engage others in this effort.
The message to the senators on this committee – and to all legislators – is very simple: restore the $1.4 million in state general fund dollars to the secretary state’s museums budget. Without a restoration of funding, museums will close. These museums are important from an educational and cultural standpoint, but also provide important gathering places in very rural areas.
I’ve also attached a chart that illustrates these proposed cuts.
It’s never pleasant to deliver this kind of news, but I know how passionate you are about our museums and in all fairness felt it important that you know where we stand in the budget process.
Thank you for all that you do to support these museums which we all value so much.
Tom Schedler
Secretary of State
225-922-2880
**********************************************
Museum Budget
Current Budget Administration Cuts House Appropriation Cuts Cuts Due to Unfunded Mandated Items * Net Budget After Cuts
State General Fund $2,669,834 $840,264 $635,174 $1,194,396
Overcollections $1,851,420 $1,005,079 $846,341
$4,521,254 $2,040,737
*************************************************
Senate Finance Committee
Senator Michael J. "Mike" Michot (Chairman)
P.O. Box 80372
Lafayette, LA 70598
(337) 262-1332
lasen23@legis.state.la.us
Senator Lydia P. Jackson (Vice-Chairman)
330 Marshall Street
Suite 706
Shreveport, LA 71101
(318) 676-7029
jacksonl@legis.state.la.us
Senator John A. Alario, Jr.
1063 Muller Parkway
Westwego, LA 70094
(504) 340-2221
alarioj@legis.state.la.us
Senator Sharon Weston Broome
P. O. Box 52783
Baton Rouge, LA 70892
(225) 359-9352
lasen15@legis.state.la.us
Senator Sherri Smith Cheek
9973 Mansfield Road
Keithville, LA 71047
(318) 687-4820
smithcheek@legis.state.la.us
Senator Jack Donahue
3030 East Causeway Approach
Mandeville, LA 70448
(985) 727-7949
donahuej@legis.state.la.us
Senator Eric LaFleur
P.O. Box 617
Ville Platte, LA 70586
(337) 363-5019
lafleure@legis.state.la.us
Senator Gerald Long
P.O. Box 151
Winnfield, LA 71483
(318) 628-5799
longg@legis.state.la.us
Senator Edwin R. Murray
1540 N. Broad St.
New Orleans, LA 70119
(504) 945-0042
murraye@legis.state.la.us
Senator Karen Carter Peterson
1215 Prytania Street
Suite 364
New Orleans, LA 70130
(504) 568-8346
petersonk@legis.state.la.us
Senator Mike Walsworth
4007 White's Ferry Rd
Suite A
West Monroe, LA 71291
(318) 396-5499
walsworthm@legis.state.la.us
Senator Dan Claitor (Interim Member)
7520 Perkins Road
Suite 170
Baton Rouge, LA 70808
(225) 765-0206
claitord@legis.state.la.us
Senator Dan "Blade" Morrish (Interim Member)
119 W. Nezpique Street
Jennings, LA 70546
(337) 824-3979
morrishd@legis.state.la.us
Senator Willie L. Mount (Interim Member)
P.O. Box 3004
Lake Charles, LA 70602
(337) 491-2016
lasen27@legis.state.la.us
Senator Francis Thompson (Interim Member)
P.O. Box 68
Delhi, LA 71232
(318) 878-9408
thompsof@legis.state.la.us
Senate Finance Committee senate.legis.state.la.us/Finance/Assignments.asp