No to PAMM funding

In his Jan. 21 letter, Growth of our cultural community must continue, Michael Spring, director of Miami-Dade County’s Department of Cultural Affairs Department, omits the fact that the leadership of PAMM, before they built the museum, made a commitment to raise $125 million to fund operations and not go to the government for any funding.

This was to induce the county to fund $100 million to build a museum and the city to give waterfront property worth $150 million. It comes as no surprise that the museum has now requested $4 million for operating funds, inappropriately. The commission gave them $2.5 million. The museum then went to the CRA, whose trust funds are meant to alleviate slums, blight and create affordable housing. The Omni CRA gave them $1 million, essentially a slush fund to pay their political supporters.

Spring says he’s proud of county leaders providing funds to the museum. But I’m not proud because the museum should be told: You wanted a museum, you got a museum, now live up to the pledge made to the taxpayers and raise the funds needed to operate the museum.

This story was originally published February 1, 2015 at 2:00 PM with the headline "No to PAMM funding."