Thursday, March 29, 2007

OpinionJournal - Leisure & Arts-Small Departure, Large Problem

OpinionJournal - Leisure & Arts: "Small Departure, Large Problem
The Smithsonian Institution needs an entirely new modus operandi.

BY ERIC GIBSON
Wednesday, March 28, 2007 12:01 a.m. EDT

The only surprise in Monday's news that Smithsonian Institution Secretary Lawrence M. Small had resigned is that it hadn't happened sooner.

The reason for Mr. Small's departure was the fallout on Capitol Hill from an inspector general's report that showed him billing the Smithsonian for such lavish expenses as first-class air travel and home maintenance costs--albeit with the approval of the Board of Regents, the Smithsonian's governing body. Mr. Small might have weathered this storm as he had others during his seven-year tenure were it not for threats by Sen. Charles Grassley (R., Iowa) and others on the Hill to freeze a $17 million increase in the Smithsonian's 2008 budget unless Mr. Small's office changed its ways."

No comments: