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Bush may veto Dali funding

It is unclear whether the Salvador Dali Museum can relocated without the state money.

By ALISA ULFERTS
Published May 18, 2005

TALLAHASSEE - Secretary of State Glenda Hood is recommending the governor veto $4-million state lawmakers want to spend to help relocate the Salvador Dali Museum.

Hood's recommendation puzzles museum supporters. As a former mayor of Orlando, they say, Hood should understand how important cultural improvements are to a community. As secretary of state, she oversees Florida cultural programs.

"I can recall certain things that trickled to Orlando when she was mayor," said St. Petersburg City Council member Bill Foster. "If it was good for Orlando, it should be good for St. Pete."

Gov. Jeb Bush is expected to announce his budget vetoes by the end of the month.

Museum officials plan a 500,000-square-foot building on the former site of the Bayfront Center arena. Besides $4-million from the state, an additional $12-million would be raised from private sources and by selling the current building.

In all, the museum needs $20-million to relocate. Whether the museum can move forward without the state money is unclear. A museum spokeswoman referred questions to museum director Hank Hine, who could not be reached Wednesday.

If Bush doesn't veto the money, the museum must raise $4-million in private donations by Jan. 1.

Bush spokesman Jacob Dipietre said the governor is reviewing the budget but thinks the museum "is a great place." Last year Bush vetoed $25,000 lawmakers appropriated to study the museum relocation. His wife, Columba, was honorary chairwoman of the Dali Centennial last year.

Sen. Jim Sebesta, the St. Petersburg Republican who has fought for two years to get state money to relocate the museum, said Hood had expressed support for it earlier.

"I don't know why this is coming at the 11th hour," Sebesta said. He said Hood doesn't think the expenditure is an appropriate use of a trust fund.

"With all due respect for the governor, the governor wrote the book on raiding trust funds, like he did with my transportation trust fund," Sebesta said, referring to Bush's proposal two years ago to take $200-million in transportation dollars to balance the budget.

The trust fund from which the Dali money would come is used for environmental conservation, though some of it can to be for cultural uses.

Hood couldn't be reached Wednesday.

[Last modified May 18, 2005, 18:59:59]