Several people have asked (rhetorically, no doubt) how the City can still be considering building a museum given the current economic climate. So I posed a few questions about that to the Museum Collaboration Group, and they graciously responded:
Q: In light of the current economic conditions, especially the so-called credit crunch, how would this museum be built even in your current fundraising goals were met?
A: “We have always said we would not begin building until we had met our fund-raising goals. We won’t start with a partially funded building. So, if our funding goals are met, we’ll build the museum.”
Q: Would you have access to the funds you would need to borrow to make this project a reality?
A: “We have never planned to take out long-term loans to build the museum. Some short-term bridge loans have always been factored into the plans, and we do not expect that these loans will be unavailable.”
Q: How is the current economic climate affecting your efforts?
A: “We are concerned about the current economic climate, but to date we are still on plan with our fundraising efforts.”
Would someone…anyone… please, please, take the museum out back and put it out of its misery?!?
Agreed, Morton.
I would have to say the majority of Peorians are sick of this whole charade.
While we’re on the subject, I’ve noticed a lot of the “Build the Block” lightpost signs. That’s money well spent.
“We are concerned about the current economic climate, but to date we are still on plan with our fund-raising efforts.”
Still on plan…? Being years behind an opening deadline, not to mention millions behind in needed funds and they are “still on plan.”
What kind of hell-raising would it really take for these people to finally say enough is enough? I did catch a couple of those snappy radio adds the other day.
Ah yes the radio adds where they ask you if you want to be a Block Head. Wonder who thought up this marketing technique? I’ve heard better cartoon ads. They are spending a lot of money on radio ads, street banners and various other advertising techniques. Who is paying for this? Is it coming out of Lakeview’s budget? Is it coming out of any tax paid budget? Like MortonPundit said, when are they going to take this idea out back and put it out of its misery with a cheap bullet? They are really making a hard advertising push right now and with all that is going on in this country in economics i would say this is a terrible wasted effort. Most are worried about just getting from Monday to Friday without going bankrupt. Who has the money to donate to this dead weight idea?