I came across a new O.C. blog this evening, called Politics Done Right. They have broken an amazing story regarding one of my favorite punching bags, the Bowers Museum.
Apparently Dr. Peter Keller, the overpaid director of the Bowers, has visited China 54 TIMES. According to the post in question, the reason for the trips was Keller’s “attempt to secure the rights to Emperor Qin Shi Huang’s Terra Cotta Army.”
54 visits to China?!? I guess the Bowers can afford that since Santa Ana taxpayers pay for all of its operations, to the tune of $2 million a year. Unbelievable!
Well, Keller got his clay army, but as the post put it, “while the city owns the Bowers museum and the land that it sits on, it will charge residents $20 to $22 for and adult ticket to see the Warriors.”
I wonder if Keller realizes how much damage he did to the ozone with all those plane trips?
Last November City Manager Dave Ream and City Clerk Pat Healy went along on one of Dr. Peter Keller’s Marco Polo trips to China.
As a neighbor of Pete’s, let me assure you that he has always travel’s only on business, never on pleasure. So what if his museum picked up the tab? And don’t act like this is some secret. It was in our local paper.
http://www.dailypilot.com/articles/2007/07/22/features/dpt-warriors22.txt
#2
Keller’s business trips averaged one per week. Not only is that excessive, but it makes one think Keller is ineffective in his job.
It should not take that much time to seal the deal.
If Bowers were a publicly held company, shareholders would be very concerned about this excessive travel.
#2 – Were the expenses incurred traveling to China 54 times at the expense of Santa Ana residents who subsidize this museum? I don’t care if all of these trips were for business. If the museum has that kind of money sitting around, they can well afford to let Santa Ana residents in for free.
#2 – just read the article in the Daily Pilot. It mentions several trips – not 54! Ludicrous.
I hope this kind of run away spending causes Santa Ana to reconsider its funding of this museum, especially if Santa Ana residents are still required to pay to visit.
Poster 3,
Good point. The Bowers Board is clearly asleep at the wheel.
Now we know why the Bowers rates went through the roof…
I realize that Art has nothing else to do with his life than stir up trouble and bad feelings. He is so desperate for attention and hits on his little blog he will say ANYTHING. It really is cyber-theater.
I for one will never be able to travel to China and see the Warriors. I’m sure 99% of the residents of Santa Ana will not either. Here is an opportunity for 300,000 people to view an artistic wonder from the other side of the world. Lo and behold good ole Art and his band of idiots want to deny these folks this chance. What is the matter with you Art?
Art rips anonymous bloggers, but he’s more than willing to believe this unsubstantiated claim by an anonymous blogger because it fits Art’s prejudices.
Art.
Having visited the Terra Cotta warriors three months ago and having brought a few home with us (miniature) we could have them on display at the Juice HQ at no charge.
How many times can you see this site is another question. In fact, I think we have video of the location and may post it for all to see.
The question is accountability. If valid, how does the Bowers Museum justify this excessive travel?
54 trips to China paid for by the residents of Santa Ana and how many times a month do I get free admission to the Bowers as a resident of Santa Ana? Keep exposing City Hall Art.
#7
It’s more than likely that you or I will never travel to China, once, to view these precious artifacts and that’s why Keller’s 54 trips seems excessive.
No one is disputing the importance of this show, but 54 trips to consumate the deal should be held to scrunity since the residents of Santa Ana are subsidizing this museum.
Mr. Keller, like most of us, should be sensitive to budget constraints.
#11. That’s the problem when you are spending “OPM.” Or in English “other peoples money.”
To travel to a foreign country to discuss trade agreements (A FEW TIMES)is one thing but to visit any country this many times simply to get part of an art collection for a museum needs to be explained and JUSTIFIED by the individual being roasted.
Let me report that when we visited the site we questioned where the workers were. Our guide informed us that this is a very tedious effort that is performed in the evening after the tourists leave. They continue to slowly dig for additional relics in the three sites. Most of these warriors, horses and chariots were severly damaged by raiders and are being rebuilt. I am not so sure as to the risk of transporting any of them. Perhaps I can contact our national guide in that Chinese province to see if any of the warriors have ever been on loan to another country’s museum.
I can also bring our book of the site which has many photos and stories of this major discovery for display at Art’s HQ. We met the farmer who discovered the sight and had him sign our book.
The implication of this post is that these 54 trips occurred in a relatively short period of time, as compared to the lifetime of Mr. Keller. I find it hard to believe that anyone would fly to a foreign country 54 times in a short period of time (such as even a few years)for fun, or see those trips as enjoyable junkets (unless it was perhaps the LA Mayor in pursuit of a regular liasion there). There has to be more to this story. Has a formal request for an explanation of the reason for these trips been made(?)
Anonymous 4:01 PM
Having just checked out the Bowers web site they will have part of the Terra Cotta collection next summer.
With regard to accountability regarding expenditures it turns out that they are a non-profit orgainzation run by a Board of Directors. As such they do not have to open their books to the average person on the street.
I must agree with you that while the culture in China is different than in the states, I doubt that all of the alleged trips to set up this loan of artifacts were done overnight. 54 trips is excessive.
Expedia has the average flight from LA to Shanghai at aprox. $2,000 round trip.That is $108,000 for the flight alone excluding expenses which were probably covered.As others have stated- the exibition is a great thing to have in the city, the expense associated and the excessive effort is in question.What will Bowers have to pay for the use of the exhibition?How can excesses like this be defended?
Terra Cotta warriors are available
at an antique store in San Juan
Capistrano. They have about 20
left….various styles which are
minatures. Probably, can’t get
them for as little as Sian, China
but hey…how many Terra Cotta warriors does one need? The Antique store is directly across
the train tracks…at the Train
Station…on the right with the
Wagon Wheel out in front. It is
a Real Estate and Antique Store.
Good morning Art.
We took a three week trip to China including all but two meals, all flights, hotels, admissions, shows, etc at a cost of
around $2,000. As such I think your air expediture estimate is somewhat high. At least it is high unless they flew first class.
Larry,
Vacation package deals will be in the cost range you mention.The roundtrip airfare I looked up were business class flights.Three years ago my wife and I took the Santa Ana Chamber vacation package to China that included everything you mention.The costI believe was around $1400 per person.It was a great trip.There are vacation bargains.54 trips probably were not planned as vacation packages.
Aryt (Lomeli).
54 trips? I have industry colleagues who are business executives with joint ventures in China who do not make that many trips in a number of years. The rest of the Travelgate story needs to be added. Specifically, does anyone have a listing of the dates and durations of these junkets?
To repeat an earlier observation.
As the Bowers is a private non-profit the only people, other than the Board of Directors, who can force an audit would be the agency that enables them to retain their non profit status.