Budget Cuts Sink Ship’s Staff
The staff of the Battleship New Jersey has been slashed as state money to the war ship-turned-museum has been cut.
CAMDEN, N.J.--The staff of the Battleship New Jersey has been slashed as state money to the war ship-turned-museum has been cut.
The organization that runs the ship, docked in Camden, have laid off eight workers, or 20 percent of the staff, in the last few months. Now, they're considering closing the ship to the public in the winter.
The moves come after the state decided to give the operation $1.5 million for the fiscal year that began July 1. That's down from $2.8 million last year.
Battleship CEO Troy Collins says it's expensive to maintain the ship, so layoffs were the only choice.
In a tight state budget, other cultural institutions, including the Liberty Science Center in Jersey City and the Newark Museum have lost even more state aid.
For more information visit: www.battleshipnewjersey.org
