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Dear Friend of Historic Preservation:
Your help is needed immediately!
In our recent special edition e-newsletter, The Governor's Proposed Budget and Historic Preservation, we responded to positive and negative elements in the proposed Executive Budget for 2009-10. As we informed you last week, Governor Rendell has deleted the Museum Assistance Line Item in his proposed budget for FY2009-2010 and effectively eliminated the Pennsylvania History and Museum Grant Program, administered by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC).
The Governor's decision to cut funding will eliminate:
-Project Grants for historic preservation, local history, archives and records management and museum projects;
-General Operating Support Grants for statewide organizations, museums and historical societies;
-A significant portion of funding to the State Heritage Areas resulting in a loss in operating funds for each Heritage Area and the elimination of the funds frequently used as grants to smaller organizations in each of the twelve Heritage Areas.
For Preservation Pennsylvania, the elimination of the Museum Assistance Line Item will result in a 20% loss of our operating budget and the elimination of the successful Technical Assistance Grant program.
It is up to us to reinstate the Pennsylvania History and Museum Grant Program. We must inform the Pennsylvania General Assembly of the significant and foreseeable consequences of eliminating funding to historical societies, museums and preservation grant programs.
We need you to contact your state legislators now about how the elimination of funding will affect your institution and your community. Write letters to your state senator and state representative or even better visit their district offices. Find contact information for your state legislators at www.legis.state.pa.us.
On Monday, February 23rd, the State House Appropriations Committee will hold budget hearings to discuss the PHMC's budget. It is crucial to contact your legislators by Friday, February 20th. We know that the most powerful incentive for legislative action is constituent response-from you, your board, your members and supporters.
For your convenience, we have posted a sample letter with talking points on our website. Please forward this sample letter to the people that love your museum, your historical organization or your local history. In addition, please send a copy of your letter or notification of your visit to jhorn@preservationpa.org.
Thank you very much for your valuable help. |
