Budget Cuts Threaten GHS

Local News

1/25/2009 9:55:00 AM

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The Georgia Historical Society (based here in Savannah) is squarely in the sights of the Governor's budget reductions. There is still time to act.

Budget Cuts Threaten GHS
The History of Georgia is under assault and in dire need of the public's help.

The Georgia Historical Society's funding from the State of Georgia has been deeply slashed. It's been been hit with an immediate 10 percent reduction in historical marker funding. In addition, the Secretary of State has eliminated effective immediately nearly $75,000 of funding needed to operate our library and archives.

The worst is yet to come: the Governor has recommended the elimination of the entire appropriation from the State, $300,000, in the FY2010 budget.

What does this mean for the citizenry of the state? It means limited access to history: severely curtailed research hours in our library and archives; no more historical markers will be erected, thus ending a program that started in 1954; the end of any hope Georgia had to participate in the national 150th anniversary of the Civil War; the loss of billions of tourist dollars which might have helped to improve the state's economy and create jobs.

It means a public less educated, less informed about its past, and less prepared for the future.

Institutions like the Georgia Historical Society are not frills to be discarded when budgets are tight. They are essential trustees of our democratic inheritance. The custodians of our democratic experience deserve continued funding.

To do anything less dishonors the heritage upon which we build and threatens the future we aspire to create.

All are encouraged to please join in urging the General Assembly (where there are still have many allies and supporters) to restore funding for history education and tourism by appealing to State representatives.

If the people of Georgia won't be the advocate for its own rich and diverse story, no one else will.

Be courteous but make your voices heard.

The following is a sample letter that can be cut-and-pasted into its won document and posted. It is essential to keep it short and to the point!

Dear Representative ________ or Senator _______,

I understand that funding for the Georgia Historical Society has been cut from the Governor's AFY09 and FY10 proposed budgets. I am respectfully requesting that you support the restoration of these funds. The Georgia Historical Society operates a Library and Archives and manages the State's Historical Marker Program and is the custodian of our state's history and our democratic inheritance. The State of Georgia has a vested interest in supporting the Society's work to promote tourism and to educate our citizens about their state's and nation's history.

GHS understands that it needs to take a 10 percent cut like everyone else. So please restore the following funding:

To the Secretary of State's budget: $73,500 in AFY09 and $90,000 in FY10

To the Department of Economic Development's budget: $173,000 in FY10

Thank you for your support of history education.

[signed]

Specifically here is who you need to contact:

To restore funding for the Georgia Historical Society Library & Archives in the Secretary of State's budget, please contact:

House:

General Gov't sub-committee of the House Appropriations committee:

Carl Rogers, Chair: 404-656-0220; carl.rogers@house.ga.gov

Cecily Hill: 404-656-0177; cecily.hill@house.ga.gov

Lynmore James: 404-656-0116; lynmore.james@house.ga.gov

David Lucas: 404-656-0220; david.lucas@house.ga.gov

Don Parsons: 404-463-2247; repdon@gmail.com

Jimmy Pruett: 404-656-0126

Austin Scott: 404-656-5132; austin.scott@house.ga.gov

Lynn Smith: 404-656-7149; lynn.smith@house.ga.gov

Roger Williams: 404-656-3904; wroger@alltel.net

Senate:

General Gov't sub-committee of the Senate Appropriations committee

John Wiles, Chairman: 404-657-0406; john.wiles@senate.ga.gov

Steve Henson, Vice-Chairman: 404-656-0085; steve.henson@senate.ga.gov

Dan Moody: 404-651-6768; dan.moody@senate.ga.gov

Steve Thompson: 404-656-0083; steve.thompson@senate.ga.gov

Ross Tolleson: 404-656-0081; ross.tolleson@senate.ga.gov

To restore funding to the Georgia Historical Society for the Historical Marker Program in the budget of the Dept. of Economic Development, contact:

House:

Economic Development sub-committee of House Appropriations Committee:

Butch Parrish, Chair: 404-656-0298; larry.parrish@house.ga.gov

Vance Smith: 404-656-7153; vance.smith@house.ga.gov

Ellis Black: 404-656-0287; blackellis@bellsouth.net

Jim Cole: 404-656-0152; jim.cole@house.ga.gov

Bob Hanner: 404-656-7859; bob.hanner@house.ga.gov

John Lunsford: 404-656-7573; john.lunsford@house.ga.gov

James Mills: 404-656-5099; james.mills@house.ga.gov

Jay Roberts: 404-651-7737; jay.roberts@house.ga.gov

Tommy Smith: 404-656-5105; tommy.smith@house.ga.gov

Calvin Smyre: 404-656-0116; calvinsmyre@synovus.com

Senate:

Economic Development sub-committee of Senate Appropriations Committee

Chip Pearson, Chairman: 404-656-9221; chip.pearson@senate.ga.gov

Jeff Mullis, Vice-Chairman: 404-656-0057; jeff.mullis@senate.ga.gov

George Hooks: 404-656-0065; george.hooks@senate.ga.gov

John Douglas: 404-656-0503; john.douglas@senate.ga.gov

Mitch Seabaugh: 404-656-6446; mitch.seabaugh@senate.ga.gov

To ensure the success of the restoration of the funding, the House and Senate need to work together.

It is imperative to contact these members of their respective conference committee as well:

Ben Harbin, Chmn., House Appropriations Committee: 404-463-2247, bharbin@juno.com

Jack Hill, Chmn., Senate Appropriations Committee: 404-657-7094, jack.hill@senate.ga.gov

Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle: 404-656-5030

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