Volume 15, Number 7
Nov 1991

Budget Cuts Below the Federal Level
(and Some Below the Belt)

• The Alaska State Archives has been reorganized, downgrading the State Archivist's position and making it halftime. NAGARA has sent a resolution to the Governor of Alaska and the Commissioner of Education, expressing extreme concern. (From NAGARA Clearinghouse, Summer 1991, p. 3)

• The Philadelphia Inquirer of July 26, 1991, reported that the Philadelphia Archives, which houses millions of documents dating back 300 years, is suffering, like the city itself, from neglect and shrinking resources. Karl Niederer, Chair of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Archives Conference (MARAC), is quoted as saying that archives are the first things to be let go when economic times are hard. (From maa, the newsletter of MARAC, XX/4, p. 17)

• Imagine you are the state archivist, sitting in front of your television at home, and watching in disbelief as the governor announces his plans to abolish your job and do away with the state archives. Terry Ketelsen, State Archivist of Colorado, had that experience on Tuesday, September 10. He was not alone. Governor Roy Romer also announced budget cuts or outright elimination of the Division of Disaster Emergency Services, programs for the mentally ill, drug and alcohol abuse programs, law enforcement training, and a dozen other programs, for the purpose of saving $47.5 million total. Eliminating the Archives would "save" $165,000 a year ($330,000 a year, according to another report).

  Romer was suspected of bluffing in order to get the legislature to raise taxes, but on the other hand, he has never been known to set foot in the Archives, and was also suspected of not knowing or caring what it does for the state.

  On October 17, Romer's actual cuts were made known. Although they totaled almost twice the previously announced figure, they did not include elimination of the Archives. Instead, the Archives will now be required to charge private users for its services. Karen Jones wrote October 31 to say that six of the Archives' positions will have to be cash funded, at least partly from these fees, but it is not likely that these fees will cover the cost of all six staff members. Effective November 1, research fees will be $8.00 per half hour, and effective January 1, copier fees will be $1.25 per sheet, up from 500 per sheet. Workshop fees will increase, and the storage fee for local government records will be $1.00 per roll of microfilm per year. Usage is expected to fall off.

  Judging by the coverage of this episode in Colorado newspapers, proposing to eliminate the Archives may have been a political blunder even if it did wake up the legislature, because it raised serious doubts about his judgment. The fee on services to private users will offend the genealogists, among others, especially when they hear that the Archives could be supported for a whole year on what one or two university administrators make as a salary. (Information from clippings sent in by Myra Jo Moon)

• The Manitoba budget has been reduced 22% below last year's level, causing cuts in services to Manitoba museums, galleries and archives. More services will be reduced next year. (From IIC-CG Bulletin, Sept. 1991, p. 23)