Pen-Elayne on the Web

Statuesque Doings

Been meaning to write about this, as Robin mentioned it to me a few days ago, but I've been a bit preoccupied, so I'm grateful for the e-mail reminder from Lis. I first expressed trepidation here last Christmas Eve about what was up between the Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation and the National Park Service (writing "Shouldn't the upkeep of infrastructure at national treasures like the Statue be the responsibility of the federal government anyway?"). Well, turns out the Senate Finance Committee has begun an inquiry into why the NPS hasn't put the required 85% of its $15 million take over the last five years towards expediting the Statue's opening. In addition, the foundation itself is also being investigated, as it never tapped its $30 million endowment; paid its president, Stephen Briganti, 62, a salary of $345,000 a year (far more than is paid to chief executives at other parks' nonprofit foundations); and made risky investments which contributed to a nearly $10 million drop in the value of its assets in the last two fiscal years. Already corporate "partner" Wal-Mart has suspended its fundraising for the foundation, and it wouldn't surprise me if others like AmEx follow.

On a somewhat lighter note, seems a French stuntman snared the sail of his paraglider on the torch of the Statue earlier today. Seeing as how that part of the Statue won't be reopened for the foreseeable future, maybe the guy figured that was the only way he could see it up close...