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Museum at Bethel Woods: A political attraction?
By Steve Israel
(Middletown, NY) Times Herald-Record
October 18, 2007
Bethel — Call it peace, love and politics — million-dollar politics.
Alan Gerry's foundation got a cool $1 million in June from the U.S. Senate for the Woodstock-era museum that will open next year at his Bethel Woods Center for the Arts. Five days later, the Liberty cable TV magnate and his family gave $29,200 to the politicians who earmarked the money — Sens. Chuck Schumer and Hillary Rodham Clinton, both Democrats.
Coincidence or payback?
Payback, says one senator — thousands of miles from the site of the 1969 Woodstock festival.
"Politicians skim off the federal government for their own insurance," said a spokesman for Oklahoma Sen. Tom Coburn, a Republican. "It's institutional corruption. Especially during a time of war, why are we giving money to a performing arts center to fund some hippie flashback?"
Coburn wants to shift the grant to health care for pregnant women and homeless children.
Schumer, who grooved to Bob Dylan at Bethel Woods this summer and toured the grounds with Gerry before the center was built, defended the grant. He did not comment on his donation, one of many he's received from Gerry. He got $20,000; Clinton, $9,200.
"This is one of the top economic development projects in Sullivan County, an area in need of jobs and commerce," he said through a spokesman. "It was long sought after and supported by a broad range of state and local leaders."
Clinton also defended it.
"One thing had nothing to do with the other," said her spokesman.
Gerry, who's spent some $100 million building the center in his native Sullivan County, defended the project and the politicians.
"Obviously, he (Coburn) is ill informed," he said. "This was created, conceived and financed by the private sector. And I'm delighted our representatives recognized what this can do for the county. Over the years, being responsible citizens, we've donated. But if someone thinks we have the clout to change the minds of the government."
Coburn, a longtime crusader against wasteful government spending such as the "Bridges to Nowhere" in Alaska, isn't buying the coincidence — even though Bethel Woods has become an economic engine for the struggling Sullivan County economy. "This may or may not be a good project," said Coburn's spokesman, "but it should be up to the local government to decide, not the federal government, especially when it's for a local billionaire."
Whatever you call it, this kind of give and take is common.
Gerry and his family have given more than $500,000 to federal politicians since 1998, including $19,500 to Rep. Maurice Hinchey, D-Hurley, who later earmarked $200,000 for Bethel Woods. State politicians like Gov. Pataki, state Sen. John Bonacic, R-C Mount Hope, Assemblywoman Aileen Gunther, D-Forestburgh, and her late Assemblyman husband Jake have come up with $15 million for the project. Gerry has given them at least $254,150.
He's not apologizing.
"I'm going to invite him (Coburn) to take a look," he said, "and ask him if he'd like to have one of these in his state."
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