In reply to the poll and the quote:

"That is why the American Association for State and Local History is deeply concerned over the draconian reductions in public funding of historical organizations....They are essential trustees of our democratic inheritance."

The term "democratic" as it is used here does not refer to the Democratic political party, but rather "pertaining to or of the nature of democracy...a government in which supreme power is exercised directly by the people or by their elected agents."

The statement is not in reference to political parties, but rather a generalized point that all Americans should be equally concerned about the preservation of their unique heritage, and that funding for such pursuits is not frivolous but something we should consider a duty.  Funding for the arts and cultural institutions is notoriously slippery.  This is not a new crisis, but an ongoing problem faced by all non-profit entities--the 'nature of the beast', so to speak.  You cannot easily, or rightfully, pin the blame on a particular political party or administration.  As much as we would like to find fault with certain political ideologies and individual politicians, museum directors must be prepared for these inevitable fluxtuations and learn how to adequately deal with re-occurring financial problems as a basic part of their job function.

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