Surprise, surprise. The NIH lost billions this week in research funding because grants include overhead. So forget cancer, Alzheimers, Parkinsons, and the myriad diseases for which the world’s foremost researchers are trying to cure. We have to keep computers, support staff and most importantly pencils and paper out of the hands of our top medical researchers. Heavens, they might have an idea in the middle of the night to save the lives of millions! We wouldn’t want them to easily write it down.
Years ago I had a client, a tiny (in monetary size, not ambition or talent) repertory theatre and negotiated the funding process with numerous institutional donors. All wanted program-only funding. Let me tell you what that does.
At this particular theatre, the founders were a retired couple. He received no salary as managing director and she received a modest stipend as artistic director. Program-only would mean that they couldn’t pay the artistic or managing directors for keeping the books or selecting the annual season of plays. They probably couldn’t buy the five scripts they needed for the actors to prepare, or pay to license the play for performances. They couldn’t pay the rent on the shop for the set decorator, or for the tools he needed to design and make the sets. Or the audio equipment. Or the box office manager to create, print and sell tickets to the performances. They couldn’t hire actors or rehearse. They couldn’t raise funds or rent a tiny office for the development director and business manager. They only wanted to pay for the five performances, 8:00 – 10:00 p.m. on show nights, plus one matinee.
If they wanted to get the money down to next to nothing, audience members could go to the library, see if it had the play to lend out, and read it for themselves. But Shakespeare was meant to be seen, heard and experienced, live and in person. Ditto Neil Simon, David Mamet, Tom Stoppard and so many other brilliant playwrights.
It takes a village to put on a play, just ask Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney in practically every movie they made together. “Let’s put on a show!” Just as it takes a university and top-notch talent to run a medical research institution. Does the university president have a hands-on presence in medical research funded by the NIH? No, but his/her presence at the institution is needed.
If Tesla had no need for “overhead” or administrative funding, then why is Elon Musk’s salary $101 BILLION dollars this year? Think about it. Some administration is needed if we are to cure cancer. Again, scalpel, not cudgel.
Work with the agencies and Congress to trim budgets fairly. With a common cause and buy-in by those involved, it’s amazing what can be accomplished. Elon Musk has a huge conflict of interest in his role here, and superseding existing law and constitutional demands is not right and must be corrected before it does too much damage to our democracy.
One thing most presidents know already is that with great power comes great responsibility. What one can do with a company, large or small, owned by one person is vastly different than dealing with a democracy with three branches of government. They’re all useful and should be balanced, and no, I don’t believe for a moment in a unitary executive who rules the legislature and judiciary. That’s not what Americans signed up for. Read the Constitution. Onward and upward, Dee
Cooking with Dee 