GAO: Lazy Democrats Have Let Smithsonian Facilities Fall Into Decline

http://www.newsmax.com/us/smithsonian_facilities/2007/09/28/36685.html

GAO: Smithsonian Facilities in Decline

Friday, September 28, 2007

WASHINGTON -- The Smithsonian Institution's maintenance backlog has grown to

$2.5 billion as the museum complex faces problems such as corrosion of

historic airplanes and leaky pools at the National Zoo, the Government

Accountability Office said in a report released Friday.

The GAO noted some progress in addressing maintenance issues since its last

report in 2005. But it urged the Smithsonian to more thoroughly consider

alternatives to government funding _ including charging admission _ to

address the maintenance problems.

The new backlog estimate is an increase from $2.3 billion in 2005, the

report said.

Acting Smithsonian Secretary Cristian Samper said the museum complex agreed

to the recommendations and said the institution is already in the middle of

a more thorough analysis of funding options.

At the same time, Smithsonian officials emphasized that upkeep has always

been paid for by the federal government. The Smithsonian Board of Regents

has considered charging admission three times in about a dozen years and

always rejected the idea, she said.

"It has always been Congress' responsibility to care for the national

collections and the buildings," Smithsonian spokeswoman Linda St. Thomas

said.

Among the critical maintenance problems cited in Friday's report:

_ A lack of temperature and humidity control at the Museum of Air and

Space's storage facilities in Suitland, Md., has corroded historic planes.

_ Recurring leaks at the Museum of African Art forced the museum to close

one gallery several times from 2004 to 2006.

_ Power capacity problems caused by inadequate electrical systems has forced

the Air and Space Museum to occasionally close galleries.

_ The National Zoo's sea lion and seal pools lost an average of 110,000

gallons of water a day as of July, with an annual replacement cost of

$297,000.

_ Officials at the Sackler Gallery reported a "near miss" in which a major

leak occurred in a holding area just three weeks before the arrival of $500

million worth of art on loan.

The GAO also questioned security at the museums, finding that the number of

guards throughout the complex has decreased despite an increase in the

Smithsonian's square footage. Two of the most popular museums, the Air and

Space Museum and the Museum of Natural History, have seen a 31 percent

decrease in security personnel since 2003, according to the report.

The Smithsonian has begun employing gallery attendants in an effort to help

fill security gaps and is constantly advertising vacancies for security

guards to help deal with high turnover, St. Thomas said.

In a letter to board chairman Roger Sant, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif.,

said she would hold a hearing of the Senate Rules and Administration

Committee regarding the GAO report on Nov. 7. She said she was concerned

about the lack of a funding strategy to address the facilities and security

needs.