As the chart shows, the AHS budget grew rapidly during the good years. Then, as bad times began, the budged declined somewhat. However, for 2011 they hit the jackpot. Governor Brewer gave them a huge increase in the midst of the great recession.
The trend line in the figure shows this even puts the 2011 AHS budget well above what might have been expected if the economy had not crashed. The 2011 AHS budget is 54% over the 2010 budget and a whopping 85% over the 2004 budget.
Even those huge numbers do not tell the whole story. Historical society museums are a double dipper in the state budget. There is over 6 million dollars in the 2011 budget for the Arizona Historical Society as shown in the figure. There is also an additional $762,000 for the Prescott Historical Society of Arizona. That’s a whopping total of over 7 million tax dollars for historical society museums in 2011.
Is this how Arizonans want their tax dollars spent? Would they rather go to a history museum than to a state park? Would they rather have access to a history museum than to a rest stop while traveling?
If we had invested more in understanding our history we might not have created the economic conditions that lead to the recession in the first place. Investing in history and good history museums makes good economic sense and is a bargain in the long run.
ReplyDeleteOn the off chance that we had put more in comprehension our history we won't not have made the financial conditions that prompt the subsidence in any case. Putting resources into history and great history galleries bodes well and is a deal over the long haul.Write papers
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