It is difficult to believe that anyone could read the article in the May 21 issue titled "Committee: Give $400K more to marketing" and fall for such garbage. The cities have been conning their citizens into providing bailouts for the local businesses by illegally subsidizing the local chamber of commerce, a private enterprise, comprising those businesses. The taxpayers have been forced by their own governments to provide those subsidies.
One of the proposals, according to the article, is to illegally subsidize two private businesses (a chamber and a marketing board). The chamber would receive $600,000 per year and the marketing board would receive $1 million a year for a subsidy, with a grand total of $1,600,000 per year or about $500 per year or more per resident. Our own governments misuse our money in this manner, although our taxes are meant to provide necessary services for the cities. I guess that our local officials think that if the federal government can waste our money, then they can waste it, also.
In the article, Carol Waller is quoted as saying, "There's no shortage on challenges and it all comes down to money. You can only do so much with so much money." Money, money, money. As long as we can spend someone else's money, we'll be in good shape. Her attitude reflects the attitudes of the local governments, which waste our money on studies, consultants and other unnecessary expenditures.
I, for one, believe that if businesses want more business, then they should advertise for it. I also believe that there are many more citizens who agree with me.
Jake Jacoby
Ketchum
