A victim of Mayor Suttle's budget proposal for 2010 is the city museums that were partially supported by profits from the game of keno. Those budgets would be dismiss entirely. Keno produced $3,436,000 for Omaha last year.
Mayor Suttle's budget estimates this year's earnings at $3,471,000 but there are some major losers in this game of luck. John Ausdemore and ten year-old Anne are members of the Durham Western Heritage Museum said that it is very important to preserve the money for the museums.
The mayor's budget plans eliminate keno financing for the museums. Western Heritage would lose a total of $200,000 next year, which is 7 percent of its whole budget. Durham Western museum's Shawna Forsberg that this kind of problem came a big surprise to them even if they really tried to be financially smart and run as a business.
Joslyn Art Museum would lose a total of $150,000 in 2010. Director J. Brooks Joyner stated on July 27th, 2009 that they rely heavily on those keno funds to fund public programs, exhibitions and educational activities for the residents of Omaha. He added that they hope that those funds will be given back.
Mayor Suttle wants to divert the money from keno to buy forty-four new police vehicles. Suttle says the cars they would replace average 110,000 miles and could become a big liability to Omaha. While public safety is an important concern, Omaha's museum backers face a double dilemma.
Forsberg said that one of the biggest concerns they have is the entertainment tax which also affects them greatly. He added that no only would it affect their admission and membership costs but any donation that is now made would be a part of taxable earnings.
Another museum affected by the keno cuts is the El Museo Latino in south Omaha. According to the figures released by Mayor Suttle, that museum would lose $2,500 in keno money. It is a important cut as the museum is not as big as the others that are losing keno funding.
[06-08]
John M. Thorpe
