Budget cuts prompt a dozen Illinois historic sites to pare schedules

[RJNorton]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local...story.html

and

http://www.illinois.gov/ihpa/news/Pages/...hours.aspx

[Gene C]

As usual, cut the some of the items that draw in the tourism dollar, and re-enforce the valuable lessons that history teaches society. I can see cutting back on some of the items on the list, but as usual it's a penny wise and a pound foolish.

There is a large amount of waste and fraud in the government services area.

These cuts shouldn't effect the Springfield Trip, except if the Lincoln Law Office is closed.

[LincolnMan]

I didn't go to the links Roger provided- but it sounds like the Lincoln home is still open. I don't want to miss it again.

[LincolnToddFan]

I know that when Robert Todd Lincoln turned over his family home to the State of Illinois, he stipulated that access to the home must be given to the public free of charge. But perhaps it's time to start charging a very small fee...anywhere from $1-$5 per person, to help with the cost of maintaining the site since the State budget is maxed to it's potential?

The same idea has crossed my mind with regard to the Lincoln Monument. But since it's actually a gravesite as well as a presidential Monument, it might be crass to charge for admittance.

[LincolnMan]

I certaining wouldn't mind paying a fee. I don't know how a fee could jive with what you said about RTL's demand.

[LincolnToddFan]

Bill, actually it wouldn't jive. RTL insisted that the public must always be admitted for free. But I'm like you...I would rather pay a fee than have the sites closed for lack of funds.

[Gene C]

As usual, the states forget about the colateral sales tax revenue from souveniers, restraunt and motels, that having these historical sites add to a community and state revenue. Then there is the income and property tax paid by these businessese. Just think about the income we poured into the state on our Springfield Tour.

So be sure to join us this October to help bail out the state of Illinois and preserve the history and heritage that we care so much about.
(for you accountants out there, can I say I'm working on a book, and deduct all my traveleing expenses off my taxes? - even if it never gets published?)

[LincolnToddFan]

Gene, I would so much love to come on the Springfield tour this Fall. I'd be ecstatic in fact! But sadly I don't believe I will be able to make it this year.

[L Verge]

You make the same points that many of us in the history museums make every day, Gene. Heritage tourism is a big buzz in the travel industry. I think the State of Illinois needs to clean house from top to bottom from what I hear about their political process. Their Lincoln sites should be top priority in their conference and visitors' bureau statewide.

Those sites are to Illinois and the U.S. what Williamsburg is to Virginia and the U.S. - and yes, what the John Wilkes Booth Escape Route Tours are to Maryland. Using the tours as an example, we do at least 8-10 each year with 50 people each time. The bus company gets a big chunk; Ford's Theatre now requires us to purchase two $50 permits each year as well as pay $2/person for advanced tickets; the Mudd museum will not give us a group rate (which is standard in the travel industry), so we pay them $7/person each trip; the visitors buy their lunches individually at Capt. Billy's, but let's just say that it is never less than $10/person there; the State of Maryland charges us to cross the bridge into Virginia; and finally, we make a pit stop at a Horne's restaurant and gift shop, and everyone usually buys snacks and a drink for the hour-plus ride home. Since many of our visitors spend the night, we have arrangements with three nearby hotels for reduced rates if they mention Surratt House. That is still in the neighborhood of $100/night for a couple. And that's peanuts compared to what visitors to Springfield spend. What was the combined visitation? Nearly 900,000 people per year?

[Gene C]

More sad news from the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum

http://news.yahoo.com/director-springfie...NlYwNzYw--

[Donna McCreary]

More sad news from the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum

http://news.yahoo.com/director-springfie...NlYwNzYw--

This is not necessarily sad news. I know some folks in Springfield who are probably doing the "jig of joy" about now. The ALPL has become a very sad place to work and visit over the past couple of years. Halls that were once filled with staff are now empty. Offices are vacant and dusty. When staff members leave, their position is not filled. The library's reading room use to have several staff members to answer questions and help people. Currently, there is only one librarian working there. She can not do everything.
If staff is not available to help researchers find items and answer questions, who is going to want to visit the archives?

[L Verge]

The problem of not filling staff vacancies when they occur is quite prevalent in the museum field, unfortunately. It is used as a cost-cutting technique when dealing with stagnant budgets; but in the long-run, it only serves to lessen income-generating services to the public and put greater stress on employees that stay.

When the visitation goes down, the chief bean-counters continue to cut the budget, thinking that the museum is no longer popular. It's amazing how much of the history money that the higher-ups supposedly don't have makes its way to other divisions within city, county, and state governments.

From the article that Gene posted, it appears that this situation is made worse by an unpopular administration at the museum. The facility opened with such high hopes and hype. When did it start to falter?

[RJNorton]

Laurie, I cannot give you the exact time, but the cost-cutting in Illinois began many years ago. I remember once receiving an email from Tom Schwartz when he was still at the ALPLM. He complained that he, as well as other museum employees, were being forced to take unpaid leave days each year. I do not recall the exact number of furlough days, but I think something like 5-10.

[L Verge]

Our gov't. agency has been on the brink of unpaid leave in the past. We have also gone through four years of no raises or COLAs. That was tough. Right now, Surratt House has seven staff members, but only two of us are full-time employees with benefits. The other five can work no more than 30 hours/week, get no paid leave, and more importantly - no health plans. Even full-timers get no paid overtime, despite the fact that we often work weekends with special programming.