Reagan library can't fully account for 80,000 artifacts

[Lone_Star_Dem]

Source: Los Angeles Times

WASHINGTON -- The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library is unable to find or account for tens of thousands of valuable mementos of Reagan's White House years because a "near universal" security breakdown left the artifacts vulnerable to pilfering by insiders, an audit by the National Archives inspector general has concluded.

Inspector General Paul Brachfeld said that his office was investigating allegations that a former employee stole Reagan memorabilia but that the probe had been hampered by the facility's sloppy record-keeping.

<snip>

The audit found that the Reagan library was unable to properly account for more than 80,000 artifacts out of its collection of some 100,000 such items, and "may have experienced loss or pilferage the scope of which will likely never be known."

It blamed the problem on lack of supervision, concluding that "adequate management controls were neither implemented nor properly monitored."


Read more: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-reagan8nov08,1,5010958.story?track=rss

[Burma Jones]

1. "Lack of supervision"......ironic......

Can't fully account.......that's so Reagan.....

[Sherman A1]

2. I saw this earlier and several not so nice thoughts came to mind

That said, I hope that they do recover all of the items as this is our history for good or for bad.

[baldguy]

3. I wonder how many incriminating documents are missing?

[Auntie Bush]

20. Probably ALL of them.

Bet there isn't much left about the Iran Contra affair! Also any nasty letters Reagan wrote to Nancy when he was feeling hen-pecked. Wouldn't want the public to know they ever had a fight. Maybe Nancy retrieved a few mementos too...wouldn't blame her if no one was ever checking.

[defendandprotect]

45. Were both Rummy and Cheney in Reagan's administration?

[Toots]

4. Eighty percent of Reagan's momentos disappear and people just shrug..

I do believe it is the Republican's way of doing business. I am sure the Bush and Bush* libraries will suffer similar if not worse accounting methods..It is just how Republicans/Criminals operate. Cover their tracks get rid of the evidence,,

[dipsydoodle]

5. Most of them will probably show up

on Ebay.

[tanyev]

10. There are plenty of fools out there who would pay good money

for genuine St. Ronnie relics. They'll need something to pray to when the economy collapses, we run out of affordable oil, and the oceans start rising.

[papau]

6. GOP friends steal - who would have thought that - bet some papers discussing the Bushes are missing

[Ian David]

7. Meanwhile, the Clinton Library can account for every last item. Although some are slightly sticky.

This is what happens when you leave Republickers in charge of anything-- thievery and incompetence.

[Ian David]

8. 80,000 items gone out of 100,000. Did they not notice that 80% of the library was GONE?

The audit found that the Reagan library was unable to properly account for more than 80,000 artifacts out of its collection of some 100,000 such items, and "may have experienced loss or pilferage the scope of which will likely never be known."

[moggie]

12. Most of those colouring books are very slim n/t

[lumberjack_jeff]

23. "the scope of which will likely never be known" I have a word for them, try "most". n/t

[Ian David]

9. I bet that Hannity keeps Reagan's nut sack in his desk drawer.

So he can smell it and kiss it when he's feeling blue.

[Tyler Durden]

11. Thanks for the image.

Yuck.

If Hannity's got the sack, you figure Falafel has the dick?

[kskiska]

13. Better check Michael Reagan's closet

He was booted from the White House when the Secret Service suspected him of stealing knick-knacks.

(snip)

…He was investigated, and exonerated, in a stock fraud case. He was criticized for using his father's name to help sell aerospace equipment. He became estranged from Ronald and Nancy Reagan after the Secret Service accused him -- falsely, he says -- of being a kleptomaniac.

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=990CE1D6133EF931A15751C0A963958260

(snip)

The outline describes an awkward incident between father and son after the Secret Service supposedly convinced Mr. Reagan's daughter, Maureen, that Michael Reagan was a kleptomaniac, and that she in turn told her father. The President then urged Michael Reagan to see a psychiatrist but would not tell him why.

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0DE2D9173DF931A35756C0A961948260

[lonestarnot]

14. Parallel universe.

[leftofthedial]

15. repukes. universally incompetent? universally criminal?

or both?

[superconnected]

31. Both.

[LibDemAlways]

16. Ever been to the Reagan Library?

It's staffed by a bunch of white-haired old lady and "pasty white guy in polyester sansabelt" volunteers. Somebody who wanted to rip the place off would probably have little trouble. Just dress conservatively, wear a flap lapel pin, swear republican loyalty, and get hired to some position giving you access to the goods.

Reagan's monument to himself sits in the middle of unsophisticated Ventura County. This doesn't surprise me at all.

[UTUSN]

17. Have they looked in the RAYGUNs' house?

Ron and Nancy were rapacious in ripping off, scoring, and shaking down their benefactors, sponsors (General Electric), and political contributors. They lived by "keeping up with the JONESes," but in their case the JONESes were top-of-the-liners, A-listers, so the RAYGUNs had a lot of keeping up to do.

What about RAYGUN's supposed strength in national security---trust but verify, which made the Ruskies LAUGH in his face? Rethug GREED trumps all.


I luerve Kitty KELLEY's book. Recently one of the tabloids said Nancy called Ms KELLEY the person she hates more than any other---haha!1

[Algorem]

18. shouldn't have given the Bushes a key.

[PATRICK]

19. ALL the black jellybeans...

n/t

[Javaman]

21. Maybe they just don't remember where they are...

I'll let that hang there like the big Matzah ball that it is...

:rofl:

[lumberjack_jeff]

22. That employee was just getting a head start on the ownership society. n/t

[Iggo]

24. As I used to say...

...way back in my punk rock youth:

"F*** you, Ronald Reagan!"

I'm glad people are stealing his crap. Steal it all.

[yellowcanine]

25. Well I guess they can't blame it on "untidyness" as Rummy did in Iraq when the same vase got stolon

over and over again (at least according to Rummy).

[physioex]

29. Yep.....

"Free people are free to make mistakes that's you have in a democracy" :rofl:

[orleans]

26. all those honest, morally upright republicans

what shit

what crap

shame shame shame

typical--stealing from the public once again

[eppur_se_muova]

27. Ironically, they ARE maintaining the legacy of the Raygun adminisration. nt

[Robeson]

28. It's Clinton's fault.....

...the Clenis must have rampaged through the library!

[LeftishBrit]

30. When has anyone connected with Reagan..

ever been able to account for anything!

[defendandprotect]

32. Report: Reagan library can't find items

Source: AP

Report: Reagan library can't find items Thu Nov 8, 7:59 AM ET

LOS ANGELES - The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum can't locate or account for ts of thousands of valuable mementos of Reagan's White House years, according to a published report.

An audit by the National Archives inspector general concluded that the library in Simi Valley was unable to properly account for more than 80,000 objects out of its collection of some 100,000 artifacts, the Los Angeles Times reported on its Web site Wednesday night.

The audit was connected to an investigation into allegations that a former employee stole from the Reagans' collection of gifts from foreign leaders and other dignitaries, but sloppy record-keeping has hindered the probe, Inspector General Paul Brachfeld said.

"We have been told by sources that a person who had access capability removed holdings," Brachfeld told the Times. "But we can't lock in as to what those may be."

Part of the problem has to do with a lack of supervision and a "near universal" security breakdown that may have left the mementos vulnerable to pilfering, "the scope of which will likely never be known," the audit found.


Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071108/ap_on_re_us/reagan_library

[ashling]

33. They think they cant' remember where they put them

sounds to be in keeping with the theme

[eauclaireliberal]

36. This must be something that Mommy Reagan's astrologer forgot to tell her

[eauclaireliberal]

34. LOL

I wonder when his library became a social program. "Underfunded." Life's a bitch, LOL.

[begin_within]

35. Seems like I read this before, but I can't recall where.

[Howardx]

37. i found them

http://search.ebay.com/search/search.dll?from=R40&_trksid=m37&satitle=reagan&category0=

[LeftishBrit]

38. What a perfect memorial to the Reagan government!

'Part of the problem has to do with a lack of supervision and a "near universal" security breakdown that may have left the mementos vulnerable to pilfering, "the scope of which will likely never be known," the audit found.'

How perfectly appropriate! I assume it must have been Ollie North who nicked the stuff!

[Historic NY]

39. Rethugicans stealing from Rethugicans..............

how refreshing...........they better check the land fills, pawn shops and e-bay. :rofl:

[FSogol]

40. I can't think of anything with less value than a Reagan memento.

The cleaning crew probably threw that trash away unintentionally.

[Flabbergasted]

41. Out of respect I will not make a crack about Alzheimer's. nt

[daleo]

42. They probably burned and shredded anything incriminating

I.e. anything to do with Iran-Contra.

This is a nice cover story.

[NuttyFluffers]

43. they should check the outside street gutters, they might've trickled down... and out

:evilgrin:

[tuckessee]

44. Is one of them the Constitution?

You know, with that Bill of Rights thingy attached to it.

It seems to have vanished sometime around when Reagan was in the White House & no one's seen it since.