DTR must show improvement or lose Alamo stewardship

In the last week of March, Texas legislation declared three measures that the Daughters must follow if they want to stay on as keepers of the Alamo. The Texas attorney general's investigation of the Alamo's upkeep has raised questions on whether the Daughter's efforts to raise funds and maintain it are satisfactory. If they do not meet these challenges proposed by congress, then the state of Texas - who actually owns the Alamo - will have just cause to terminate DRT's stewardship. One measure that the Daughters could put in place to save their guardianship is to prepare a comprehensive annual report available to the public. The other two bills would put the Texas Historical Commission in change of the Alamo's preservation and maintenance and then authorize the Daughters (however stated in the bill as the "non profit") to be responsible for the Alamo's management.

Scott Huddleston, a San Antonio Express-News staff writer, has investigated the public record and has determined from it that the DRT's budget only shows a $350 amount set aside for preservation efforts during its 2007-2009 fiscal years. He claims that, "No matter what the attorney general's office ultimately finds, the Daughters effectively have two more years to get their house in order because of the timing of the investigation in relation to the legislative calendar."

It seems to me that the Daughters have their work cut out for them. They have been threatened with legislation that could terminate their efforts and drastically hurt their organization as a result. I will keep you updated with anymore recent news. In the meantime, I plan to take a trip to San Antonio to judge for myself just how good of a care-taking job the Daughters are doing. Look forward to pictures and stories to come!

Story from the article "DRT must show major improvement at Alamo"
San Antonio Express-News Editorial Board
Updated 12:01 a.m., Wednesday, March 30, 2011Read more: http://www.mysanantonio.com/default/article/DRT-must-show-major-improvement-at-Alamo-1313404.php#ixzz1ICXgOhQp

Controversy Strikes! The Daughters to Lose the Alamo?

This Wednesday, March 9, 2011, a four-hour legislative hearing took place in Austin to discuss the Alamo and its overseers, the ladies of DRT. The hearing concluded that the historic landmark could possibly be seeing a joint venture in its future. Allegedly, the members of the Culture, Recreation, & Tourism Committee made attempts to remove the Alamo from the ladies control; however when called for a comment, they said it wasn’t true.

Now the current caretakers are fighting to preserve the tradition they have been responsible for the past 105 years. The Daughters have been charged that they have not been doing a good enough job. The cause for the hearing was because some citizens were concerned for the preservation of the Alamo for future generations. State Senator Leticia Van de Putte of San Antonio says, “They run it day to day, but they seem unable to raise the funds necessary to repair the roof and to keep the structure viable long term.” Many legislatures are on the Daughters side however they don’t want to see the Alamo crumbling especially while they have the authority to do something about it.

A resolution has come about that calls for a bill that will “potentially fill in some things if we need to aid the Daughters,” said state Representative Lyles Larson. Because the state does not currently provide any financial help with any of the maintenance costs, the legislators are trying to amend this situation. What will most likely happen is that another committee will come onboard to help alleviate expenses that the Daughters are struggling to pay.

I will keep you updated of what happens! Will the Daughters remain overseers or will a tradition 100+ year in the works change hands?

Source:

KSAT News – San Antonio

State Not Ready To Take Alamo From DRT

Legislative Hearing Airs Concerns Over Alamo Custodianship

Charles Gonzalez, KSAT 12 News Reporter