Another reaction our community has had is that we seem to be grouped with a number of organizations that are now considered to be wasteful, inefficient, and not delivering appropriate services. That, to us, is a complete surprise.
The general public certainly thinks, and I think most people believe, that museums—like libraries, like universities, like other public institutions—are important and fundamental to a well-civilized society. The kind of damage that can be done this way can have a long-term systemic impact on our fundraising ability as well.
I sincerely hope that label does not apply; I do not think it applies. I know the museum community. I've worked in this community for close to 30 years; I know virtually all the institutions in Canada and the people who work in them. These are good, honest people who work hard for very low salaries because they're committed to preserving our history, to sharing our history and our values to people in the communities and people in the world.