At first glace this may seem like a bad thing…
SPRINGFIELD -- Illinois’ two state fairs continue to cost taxpayers millions of dollars, according to a new report.OK, I think it’s a bad idea to require the Fairs to make money. The Fairs are about more than profit. They’re state community events. Let’s try to get back most of what it costs to put on the events but if we lose a little, who cares. Now 9.2 mil is rather a lot. Perhaps something can be done to reduce that but if it’s at the expense of attendance, I say eat the loss and pass the corndogs.
A two-year review of the Illinois State Fair and the Du Quoin State Fair by Auditor General William Holland determined that the two summertime events lost a combined $9.2 million in the two previous fiscal years.
The red ink comes despite a 1994 law requiring the fairs to break even and a 2004 comment by Gov. Rod Blagojevich that he believed the fairs would make money.
1 comment:
I bet most people would be surprised at how much state tax money is spent on entertainment in Chicago. Didn't state tax dollars help build some of the Chicago stadiums? There's no reason state government shouldn't do the same for the rest of Illinois.
There are ways the State Fairs could make more money without towing everyone away, and they should work on that, but that doesn't mean the state should stop its support.
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