Some progress on commercialism at the Smithsonian

[Gary Ruskin]

Commercial Alert						June 11, 2002

1. MODEST VICTORY: HOUSE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE CRITICIZES SMITHSONIAN
FOR COMMERCIALISM

2. COMMERCIAL ALERT WELCOMES NEW DEPUTY DIRECTOR, TOM ADKINS
***********

1. MODEST VICTORY: HOUSE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE CRITICIZES SMITHSONIAN
FOR COMMERCIALISM

Commercial Alert and other opponents of commercialism at the Smithsonian
Institution were pleased that the House Appropriations Committee
criticized the Smithsonian for commercialism arising from its donor
agreements. 

The Committee stated that "confidence in the Smithsonian by many Members
of Congress and by the general public has been shaken by what some see
as the selling of the institution to the highest bidder." It instructed
the Smithsonian to review its policies related to donor agreements.

According to the Washington Post, House Appropriations Committee ranking
Democrat, David Obey, called the language a "signal" to the Smithsonian
about commercialism.  "It seems to me we need an attitude change at the
Smithsonian," he said.

While the Committee language could have been stronger, it is significant
because the Smithsonian receives about 70% of its budget from the
federal government, so it has to listen to the appropriations
committees.  The Smithsonian is perhaps our nation's most important
cultural institution.

During the last two years, Commercial Alert has often criticized
Smithsonian Secretary Lawrence Small and Smithsonian's governing Board
of Regents for commercializing the Smithsonian, and converting it into a
platform for corporate PR and advertising.  For example, in January,
Commercial Alert and a coalition of 170 scholars and activists sent
letters to the Smithsonian's Board of Regents, asking them to protect
the Smithsonian from commercialism, and to fire Smithsonian Secretary
Lawrence Small for commercializing the Smithsonian.

For background, see our web page at:
<http://www.commercialalert.org/index.php?category_id=3&subcategory_id=45&article_id=134>

Here is a link to yesterday's Washington Post's article on the committee
action:
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A47055-2002Jul9.html>

Following is the FY 2003 Interior Appropriations report language.

COMMITTEE CONCERNS – SMITHSONIAN BENEFACTOR AGREEMENTS

The Committee is concerned by recent controversial agreements between
the Smithsonian Institution and certain benefactors which appear to cede
undue control over Smithsonian exhibits to both corporate and individual
donors.  While it lauds the philanthropic intentions of these donors, it
is concerned that a dominantly publicly funded organization must not
compromise its duty to its core missions of education and research when
seeking private sponsorships.  While the Committee does not have enough
information to render judgement on each of these public controversies,
it considers the recent agreement to remove the name of Samuel P.
Langley from the main theater complex of the National Air and Space
Museum and replace it with that of a corporate sponsor to be
particularly incomprehensible.  Samuel Langley was a noted aviation
pioneer and the Smithsonian's third Secretary.  No amount of money would
seem adequate to justify denying him the recognition which he has
enjoyed since the early 1980's when the much visited theater was named
in his honor.  Unfortunately, while this case seems particularly
difficult to understand, it is by no means the only such controversy and
confidence in the Smithsonian by many Members of Congress and by the
general public has been shaken by what some see as the selling of the
institution to the highest bidder.  In response to these concerns the
Committee requests that the Regents undertake the following actions:

1. Institute a procedure so that all benefactor or gift agreements which
include stipulations or specific requirements with respect to the design
of exhibits or naming of facilities or parts of facilities are approved
by formal vote of the Regents in open session rather than through the
current process of preliminary approval by the Secretary and the
Executive Committee with ratification by the full Regents.

2. Direct the Secretary to reopen negotiations with the donor
corporation regarding the naming of the IMAX theatre at the National Air
and Space Museum with the goal of returning the name of Samuel P.
Langley to this complex.  The Committee notes that this would not
preclude recognition of the corporation for its generosity in some other
way at the theater complex.  The Committee notes that in making this
request, it does not mean to imply appropriate recognition of donors
through naming opportunities as a general principal, but believes this
particular action should be reconsidered.

3. Carry out a review of the Smithsonian's policies regarding benefactor
agreements and their applications in major gifts during the last 2 years
and submit to the Committee not later than February 1, 2003 a report of
the Regents of their findings.

COMMITTEE CONCERNS – SMITHSONIAN EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

The Committee is very concerned by the information on executive
compensation at the Smithsonian as provided to the Committee as part of
the fiscal year 2003 hearings process.  The data indicated that last
year, a year in which the Smithsonian leadership was aggressively
complaining about shortages of funds for critical maintenance problems,
that it approved an increase in compensation for the Secretary of the
Smithsonian of almost 50 percent to a level this year of more than
$588,000 including a contractual bonus of $85,000. The Committee was
further disturbed to learn that the Smithsonian, a taxpayer financed
philanthropic and educational organization, pays 29 employees salaries
in excess of those paid to cabinet officers of the U.S. Government. 
While the Committee recognizes the right under its charter for the
Smithsonian to pay employees at any level with trust funds donated to it
by the public, it is concerned that increases in executive compensation
of this magnitude can weaken the public's belief that the organization
has justified its need for increased taxpayer support for its priority
investments.  The  Regents are requested to carry-out a review of the
Institution's executive compensation policies and report to the
Committee prior to February 1, 2003 the results of this review.

<----report language ends here----->

2.  COMMERCIAL ALERT WELCOMES NEW DEPUTY DIRECTOR, TOM ADKINS

Tom comes to Commercial Alert having worked on several political
campaigns over the past four years, including Ralph Nader's presidential
campaign, and founding the national student organization Campus Greens. 
One of Tom's responsibilities within the organization will be to develop
local campaigns and coach Commercial Alert's members and volunteers on
anti-commercialism activism within their own communities.  So, if you
have any ideas for campaigns that can take place in your hometown or
that we can move to the national stage, please send Tom an e-mail at
<mailto:tom@commercialalert.org>.  He'd love to hear from you!


Commercial Alert's mission is to keep the commercial culture within its
proper sphere, and to prevent it from exploiting children and subverting
the higher values of family, community, environmental integrity and
democracy. For more information, see Commercial Alert's website at
<http://www.commercialalert.org>.

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Gary Ruskin | gary@commercialalert.org 
Commercial Alert | http://www.commercialalert.org/
Congressional Accountability Project |
http://www.congressproject.org/
phone: 503.235.8012 | fax: 503.235.5073