Jones sticks to false story

As reported in the initial posts on this blog, former Representative Russ Jones spearheaded the attack to kill the mineral museum. His stated rational was that Arizona could not afford it. That was not true.

The “rent” paid for the mineral museum did not compensate the state for a real cost. The state owns the building and there is no mortgage.  The inflated rent really supported other state owned buildings that do have mortgages. That includes the AHS operated Marley Center Museum in Tempe.

The mineral museum operated no cost to the state except for the use of the state owned building.

However, in a recent interview with Cronkite News, Jones persisted in his untrue claims.

Why?

Reference:

Bill would restore Arizona mineral museum

Harmony Huskinson, Cronkite News Service Fri Jan 24, 2014 8:42 PM

http://www.azcentral.com/news/politics/free/20140124bill-would-reopen-arizona-mining-museum.html

The story also ran in the Arizona Capital Times:
http://azcapitoltimes.com/news/2014/01/28/lawmaker-seeks-to-reopen-arizona-mining-and-mineral-museum/

More for Nothing

Page 186 of the FY2014 executive budged recommendation (http://www.azgovernor.gov/Priorities/BudgetInfo.asp) shows $410,00 for the Arizona Centennial Museum.  Obviously, there is no such museum, so why does the AHS receive funding for it year after year?

The recommendation also shows ample funding for Papago Park (Marley Center Museum). The separate line item cost of $530,000, the excessive staffing cost, and the hidden rent subsidy on this huge building result in a per visitor cost that appears to be around $500 per visitor.

Will the Arizona Legislature approve and fund this waste once again?  If so, why?

The responsible individuals are the members of the joint legislative budget committee.  They are as follows. The general format for their email addresses is: first letter of first name, last name, @azleg.gov

Ben Beutler

Eric Billings

Jack Brown

Henry Furtick

Matt Gress

Steve Grunig

Ben Henderson

Bob Hull

Micaela Larkin

Krista MacGahan

Linda Monsanto

Hans Olofsson

Kristy Paddack

Tom Ritland

Tera Scherer

Steve Schimpp

Stefan Shepherd

Jon Stall

Richard Stavneak

Art Smith

Restoration of Mineral Museum?

The following was posted  on http://arizonageology.blogspot.com/2013/12/bill-would-have-azgs-establish-state.html

Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Bill would have AZGS establish state mining and mineral museum

Arizona State Representative Ed Ablesar has introduced Senate Bill 1023,  Restoration of the Mining and Mineral Museum, adding language to statute that says, "The Arizona geological survey shall maintain a mining and mineral museum as the state depository for collecting, cataloging and displaying mining artifacts and specimens of various ores, gemstones and lapidary material and other valuable mineral specimens."

Sen. Ablesar introduced similar legislation the past three years but none of the bills came out of committee. The intent is to replace the former Arizona Mining and Mineral Museum in Phoenix  that had been run by the Arizona Dept. of Mines and Mineral Resources.