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As 2008 chairman of The Na tional Civil War Museum, I think it's important to set the record straight about funding, especially since there has been much publicity about City Council's decision to stop funding the museum by channeling county "hotel tax" tourism dollars away from our operations and toward other city uses. I am very pleased to inform the citizens of Harrisburg and historians around the country that America's National Civil War Museum is open for business. As a result of the hard work and dedication of museum staff and a dynamic board of directors, the financial position of The National Civil War Museum has never been better since it opened in February 2001. The recent move by council to cut almost $400,000 from the museum's annual budget is, by design, an effort to close down the museum for reasons never made clear and which have nothing to do with improving the city. It's important to note that the $400,000 is not taxpayer contributions, but "hotel tax" dollars, designated by law to assist in the marketing of Harrisburg tourism. One of the national attractions to the City of Harrisburg is The National Civil War Museum. These dollars by law cannot be used to balance the city budget, thus council's intentions have been, in my view, misleading at best to the citizens. The cold reality of these cuts was the elimination of health care insurance for all museum employees. In recent months, it has been personally disappointing that council members repeatedly refused requests from the museum to meet with them and thoroughly brief them about the museum's improving economic sustainability and consistent rise to national and international prominence. Last year, for example, the museum hosted 45,000 visitors, 1,000 of which were international visitors from countries such as Australia, China and the United Kingdom. The museum generated revenues of nearly $1.5 million. The good news is that while council withdrew important support funding, the museum is enjoying growing support from the state and county, as well as community businesses and the Harrisburg Regional Chamber, all of which recognize and support the museum's positive impact on economic development and tourism for the city and the region. As a result of this support, we were able to refinance health care benefits for all employees through private sources. The National Civil War Museum has become more than a "city" historic and tourist attraction. The artifacts and narratives sustained by the museum provide documentation of America's most important periods of social development, and that heritage belongs to every American citizen. WE ARE LIVING in an unprecedented time when diversity is very much alive and well, and it can be traced back in American history to this very city and this very region. It is the role of The National Civil War Museum to preserve the memory of that long national struggle from Civil War to civil rights that bore fruit in the last 150 years. The National Civil War Museum is a vital learning institution which sustains that common memory, which we all celebrate as citizens of this great city, state and nation. I invite you to please visit your museum and see for yourself -- your National Civil War Museum is open for business. JAMES J. NULTON is board chairman of The National Civil War Museum. |