Bert Dirschell
Centertown
Dear Editor:
Have you heard of the latest national need? A need so pressing, so important to the future of our nation that the federal government needs to borrow hundreds of millions of dollar to fund ita Women's History Museum at the Smithsonian. It's a wonder that we have managed to survive so long without one. Of course it isn't worth the pain of paying for it when we can just pile more debt, and higher interest payments, on our children.
Our U.S. Rep. Luetkemeyer not only voted in favor of HR1980, he was one of the co-sponsors. Rep. Hartzler also voted in favor of the bill. Be sure to tell them what you think of their willingness to pile more debt on our children to fund such a facility.
HR1980 "establishes the need" for such a facility and establishes a council that will make recommendations to the Smithsonian Board of Regents. The bill does not establish any method for funding the museum, it just says that Congress shall appropriate money as needed to plan, design, construct and operate the museum. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that the museum will cost $375 million over the next decade.
As long as we keep putting people in office who are more interested in scratching a donor's back, or currying favor with some voting bloc, than in doing what is best for our nation, this nonsense will continue. It is just another example of the disgusting business as usual that occurs in D.C. No one should wonder why we have massive federal deficits.
If the bill specified that all funding for the planning, design, construction and operation of the museum was to come from private sources I would have no problem with it.