Yesterday’s N&R had an interesting article on the proposed $5 million bond for the International Civil Rights Museum.
There seems to be some mistrust about the museum’s inner operations, most notably on the part of former county commissioner and city councilman Chuck Forrester:
“I refuse to have anybody tell me the International Civil Rights Museum is clean, and that’s all anybody should ask. On behalf of the taxpayers, I’m calling for transparency.”
But Tim Rice, CEO of Moses Cone hospital and “one of several high-profile bond boosters,” said the museum’s books are clean after reviews by local accountants and attorneys:
“There hasn’t been malfeasance. This is not a case of money going into someone’s pocket.”
Let’s face it, as long as Skip Alston and Earl Jones are involved in the project, it will be viewed with some suspicion. I personally don’t think the museum’s problems are the result of malfeasance as much as poor planning. It seems no one anticipated the work and expense involved in Smithsonian affiliation, leaky basement or not.
Admittedly, this is a tough one for me. I certainly wanted to see the former Woolworth’s be something other than a parking lot. I was there in 1990 to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the sit-ins. The Greensboro Four- David Richmond, Ezell Blair, Franklin McCain and Joseph McNeill, were greeted with applause as they re-created their famous moment. It was the last time they were all together, as Richmond would die moths later.
But transparency is indeed important. I think taxpayers need to be reassured that true progress is being made before they’re asked to fork over $5 million of their hard-earned money.
