Museum needs other support

Years of dedication and mountains of volunteer work have been invested in Odessa's Presidential Museum. It even got a significant upgrade in living standard when a new building to house the artifacts was built on the University of Texas of the Permian Basin campus.

But with the move from the former downtown location, a smaller and less impressive building that once housed the Ector County Library, came a lot more upkeep and expenses.

Now the museum is feeling the pinch. Supporters have been wooing local governmental agencies in hopes of getting more financial support.

But local officials, who had found ways for their respective agencies to lend a helping hand in the past, are reluctant to pour more tax money into the museum.

And just to be brutally frank, they're probably doing the right thing.

The museum has some wonderful and unique items in its collection. But there's no way to justify a continuous stream of public money to keep the facility afloat.

If it is to be saved, supporters need to consider other sources of revenue. For instance, grants can be found for such facilities. Maybe the museum needs to find some people with expertise in grant writing to give them some volunteer advice.

What's more, if the community feels the museum is a vital part of the local scene, surely some private financial support can be found. Maybe boosters of the facility need to knock on some other doors.

Seeing a local institution go by the wayside would be difficult and painful, but the museum and its backers really need to find a means of support that doesn't require constant transfusions of taxpayer money.

We know that a lot of Permian Basin residents would like to see a viable option found so the museum doesn't have to close its doors.

That is a positive direction to pursue.

The weekly Question:

Do you think the Presidential Museum is worth saving? 

Yes              No
60%            40%

>> nalison: By any definition of the word, keep the museum open at all costs. This is truly one of the finest museums in Texas and the only one like in the entire United States. This is a valuable source of information on the history of our country as told through the office of the presidency. How can we possibly move into the future and train our future leaders if there is no foundation to build on? We all need to know what sacrifices our forefathers made to establish our country as a free and democratic nation. Without a doubt, our history is key to our future as a free nation, in a climate of uncertainty with economic and war turmoil. History repeats itself and the past provides direction on how to navigate the future. Every one of us who live in Odessa should be supporting this priceless institution.

>> fedmt: YES, we definitely feel that the Presidential Museum is worth saving. It is a tourist attraction for Odessa and is very educational. Visitors come from not only the Odessa area, but Texas and the other states as well as many other countries. The museum is dedicated to the office of the president and honors all the presidents. It is worth a visit!