Who would pay for this audit?

Really they get paid that much? You have to be kidding me. With that kind of money coming from tax payers you bet it needs to be audited!

Audits should be automatic and regular.

Your next audit will come in the form of a pink slip. They should thank their lucky stars that they get paid that much to toot toot into a instrument.

The Minnesota Orchestra is the Best in the World. These musician artists are the best at what they do. They represent us. Have some pride, people. Think of posterity—how will we be judged if we nickel and dime a national treasure of historic proportions. Would Bruce Dayton have let this happen?

In this economy, both the salaries and spending are out of line IMO. I am blown away by this article.

"mamajamma-The Minnesota Orchestra is the Best in the World." Huh?

Mamajama, a little hyperbolic I'd say. Yes it is a wonderful asset for our state and the players should be paid well. But putting endowment funds on the table is a major misjudgment. Endowment money by it's nature is meant to be used as a source of income from investments that should be used for discretionary expenses, and as an account that satisfies lenders of credit worthiness. The IRS requires not for profits to manage endowments according to the IRS regulations. The organization is audited every year, so it would seem the union leader doesn't really want an audit, but wants to stir up the members and public, hoping to scare the management into a deal. Both entities should forget about press releases, audits, and get to the table until they have an agreement. Musicians are not that much different from the rest of us. They like to have a workplace that allows them to do their best, and to know their job is there as long as they continue to do well.

Paid that much??? Hardly. What about the salary of doctors and lawyers who go to college and then 3 or 5 years of graduate school and are paid hundreds of thousands. These artists have practiced hours and hours and years and years..many since they were 6 years old in order to reach the outstanding abilities required of Minnesota Orchestra members. Are you kidding? "toot" their instruments? Obviously you know nothing of culture or great music.

If they use the endowment to pay salaries why not use the UofM endowment to lower tution?