The Battle For the Barnes has turned into Philly vs. Montco. If you love the Barnes, start now, start today - BOYCOTT everything Philadelphia - the Orchestra, the Ballet, The Mann, Philadelphia Museum of Art, the restaurants, retail establishments, your charitable donations to any institution with a Philadelphia address! If you know any of these losers behind the hijacking of our, yes Lower Merion, OUR art collection - call 'em up. Send 'em a letter! The time for pussy footing is over. Philadelpia has John and Milton Street - they don't need our art collection too! Write the papers - DO YOUR PART! Say no to stealing - boycott Philadelphia and tell them to leave our art collection alone! And tell Fast Eddie Rendell and Vince Fumo too - because their dirty paws are all over this to, are they not?

To contact John Street:
To contact Ed Rendell: http://sites.state.pa.us/PA_Exec/Governor/govmail.html
To contact Vince Fumo: http://www.fumo.com/

Bug the Inquirer too: , , ,

Also write our local papers...and thank them for being our champions while you are at: it: , , ,

Please heed this important update from our friends in Merion:

Dear Friends,

On Tuesday, June 5, 2007 a joint session of two Philadelphia City Council committees heard testimony related to the lease of property to the Barnes Foundation.

The ordinance being considered authorizes the City to lease the Youth Study Center site on the Parkway to the Barnes Foundation.

The testimony began with a representative from Philadelphia Mayor John Street’s office, followed by representatives from the Barnes Foundation and from a large number of Philadelphia cultural and civic institutions. From the large number of institutions represented, one might think that the council members needed a lot of convincing!

Following hours of testimony by those individuals, the Committees heard testimony from Lower Merion Township Commissioner Brian Gordon and FBF members, Robert Zaller, Walter Herman, Sandy Bressler, Barbara Rosin, Margot Flaks, and Jay Raymond. By that time, all but one or two of the Barnes' witnesses had left. Their statements stated clearly and eloquently the case for leaving an intact Barnes Foundation in Merion as a course that would benefit all and preserve a national cultural treasure for future generations. To read the statements by FBF members, visit the FBF website

http://www.barnesfriends.org

For a moving presentation, go to the following link to YouTube for a video of Jay Raymond’s message:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=4AeE9ERZsgw

After the testimony, the ordinance was approved by the City Council Committees yesterday and sent to City Council for approval.

Although the immediate outcome was predictably against our position, the opportunity for public exposure of the strong opposition to the move was worthwhile.

As the week progressed, a number of important developments took place. News about these will follow shortly...

With warm thanks for your continued interest and support,

Nancy Herman
Member, Friends of the Barnes Foundation

PLEASE GIVE! to the Legal Defense Fund. Visit

http://www.barnesfriends.org/files/action.html

Now read these articles:

Montco's Barnes Offer Stuns
By: Jim McCaffrey, The Bulletin
06/13/2007

Montgomery County yesterday made a stunning, historic attempt to keep Philadelphia from hijacking its great treasure, the Barnes Foundation and its $30 billion art collection in Merion.

Yesterday, Mark Schwartz, newly-appointed legal counsel for Montgomery County in all things Barnes, made a bid on behalf of the county to buy the Barnes property in Merion. The bid also includes Ker Feal, Dr. Albert Barnes' historic Chester County country home near Chester Springs.

Schwartz said the offer will "be equal to or exceed $50 million, the amount [Orphans' Court] Judge [Stanley] Ott said would be needed for a viable endowment."
The county would then become a landlord to the Barnes - the same role Philadelphia would play if the foundation completes its bid to move its art collection to the Benjamin Franklin Parkway.

There would be no taxpayer money used in the purchase of the Barnes' property, Schwartz guaranteed. The county would sell bonds to cover the cost of the purchase. The Barnes Foundation would then be responsible for paying the debt service on the borrowing.
Schwartz explained, "The bonds are backed by the lease payments. The debt service would be $2.5 million per year but the interest on $50 million would be $3.5 million a year.

Leaving the Barnes a profit for its endowment fund. After 40 years the debt would be paid off and the Barnes could probably get a 99-year lease at $1 a year. There could be an option to buy back the land and buildings whenever they wanted to. This is a way the Barnes could be economically viable without using millions in taxpayer money."

Notice of Montgomery County's attempt to save the Barnes came on the same day Philadelphia City Council's Rules Committee unanimously recommended re-zoning the city's juvenile jail, euphemistically named the Youth Study Center.

The zoning change clears the way for the Barnes (backed by Pew Foundation, Lenfest, Annenberg Foundation and state money) to build a new home for its collection there.

Montco commissioners press ahead with reopening Barnes Museum litigation
By:MARGARET GIBBONS 06/08/2007

COURTHOUSE - Montgomery County stands a good chance of reopening the litigation that cleared the way for the move of the Barnes museum's art collection out of Lower Merion to a proposed new museum in Philadelphia, according to county Commissioners Chairman Thomas J. Ellis.

"My expectation is to win, otherwise we would not engage in this action," said Ellis.
Ellis' comments came after the commissioners voted to hire Bryn Mawr lawyer Mark D. Schwartz to petition the county's Orphans Court to reopen the Barnes litigation.

The county will pay Schwartz $200 an hour for his efforts to have the litigation reopened. These legal fees likely will not exceed $20,000, according to county Solicitor Michael D. Marino.

One of the reasons for his confidence, said Ellis, is that, at the time of his ruling. Orphans Court Judge Stanley R. Ott, like many others, did not know that the state had earmarked $107 million in state funds for the move even before the litigation was filed.

Check out these items as well:

http://barnesfriends.blogspot.com/

http://paelderestatefiduciary.blogspot.com/2007/06/next-round-for-barnes-foundation.html