Wrong budget priorites?

On Arizona Central.com (March 3, 2014) the Arizona Republic posted a photo of the elaborate and sinfully expensive entry way to the Marley Center Museum in Tempe. Beneath the photo, they placed this caption.

Why is there money in a proposed state budget for a museum but not for funding research at the University of Arizona?

On the editorial page, they printed the following letter:

 On the Monday Opinions page, there was a guest column about insufficient research funding for the University of Arizona ("Increase universities' research funding").

Is the problem really a "tight budget," or is it the inability, or unwillingness, of our elected leaders to prioritize?

 For example, the budget includes millions for the Arizona Historical Society.

Which should have the higher priority?

History museums with very few visitors, or university research?

— Dick Zimmermann, Tempe

Reference:

http://www.azcentral.com/story/opinion/letters/2014/03/12/prioritize-funding-for-research/6353129/