Let’s Eliminate Real WFA

I received an email today from a museum that I care deeply about, the St. Louis Kaplan Feldman Holocaust Museum. Some of its funding is threatened since the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) has been effectively shut down. When I investigated further, I discovered that IMLS also supports many other Missouri organizations that I like, including the Missouri Botanical Garden and the National WWI Museum and Memorial.

I strongly support eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse in the federal government. But I want the focus to be on things which save real money. I do not want the feds to slash programs which hurt “little guys” like museums and do not save the feds anything worth mentioning.

Oh… did I forget to mention that the entire budget of IMLS is only 0.0046% of the federal budget?

I wrote to my senators and representative about it. I urge you to do so, too.

Here is the letter that I wrote. Feel free to crib from it or use it as inspiration to get started on your own letter. You can find your own senators and representative on this page.

If you want to adjust the letter to include museums in your area, you can find grant recipients of IMLS on this page. Scroll down and you can filter by state.

Hello,

Let me start by emphasizing that I support many of President Trump’s stated goals including reducing the federal deficit and eliminating WFA.

Today, I am writing to ask for your help in reigning in some of President Trump’s more egregious steps which are, honestly, not saving the US any significant money.

Here are three examples:

He effectively shut down the IMLS (Institute of Museum and Library Services). The entire institute represents only 0.0046% of the federal budget and it supports many organizations in Missouri that I care deeply about. These include the St. Louis Kaplan Feldman Holocaust Museum, the National WWI Museum and Memorial, the Missouri Library Association, the National Blues Museum, the Missouri Botanical Garden, and the Missouri State Library.

He fired IRS auditors who collected more in tax revenue than their salaries. I have read estimates that every $1.00 spent on IRS auditors generates approximately $2.50 in tax revenue. I am not a fan of taxes but I am certainly a fan of catching tax cheats.

He fired approximately 1,000 NPS (National Park Service) employees. This was done in an illegal fashion, per a US District Court ruling on March 13. Even were President Trump to eliminate the entire NPS, it would save an insignificant 0.067% of the federal budget. Since these 1,000 employees must now be rehired and litigation will be involved, the net effect is that the government will spend more money that if it had simply followed the law.

I am fully in favor of reducing federal expenditures.

I certainly support ferreting out and eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse.

Please, though, use your office to pressure the Executive branch to act legally and focus its efforts on things which will actually save us money.

Thank you,
Art Zemon