Scott Huddleston continues to dig up interesting stories about the Daughters of the Republic of Texas, the caretakers of the Alamo. In today’s story, Scott looked at how the nonprofit organization spends proceeds from the sale of Texas license plates. Scott discovered the Alamo isn’t getting a very big cut:
Since the sale of the Native Texan license plates began in 2003, the DRT has collected $22 per plate. Of the $213,452.30 it reported spending in license plate proceeds from early 2005 through August 2008, just over $37,000 — 17 percent — supported the Alamo, according to records from the governor’s office …
A lesser-known site, the French Legation Museum, an 1841 house near downtown Austin, drew the largest share of license plate funds — $50,004.89. And the DRT spent $18,214.46 on its Republic of Texas Museum, also in Austin.
I hadn’t known the DRT got a cut of license-plate sales so it was interesting to see how the money is being spent. Where the money goes is important — a rift is growing between DRT members who disagree about fundraising efforts to maintain and protect the Texas shrine.
Somehow, “Remember the French Legation Museum!” doesn’t quite roll off the tongue in the heat of battle like “Remember the Alamo!”
