Jan. 28, 2013 - PPM - Levy Me Alone

This week’s PET PEEVE MONDAY (PPM) is the request by the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden for an operational tax levy.

The Cincinnati Zoo’s Executive Director stated, “Without the extra help, zoo quality will suffer and the experience for its 1.4 million annual visitors would be “placed in jeopardy.”

Here’s my PEEVE.

Any cultural event or activity should stand on its own financially. If people won’t pay to see it, then it shouldn’t be supported by MY tax dollars. This includes the ballet, art museums, and YES, zoos.

The Kings Island Amusement Parks and other regional entertainment venues can make it without tax levies. Why? Because they charge a MARKET-BASED admission fee.

If the Zoo wants to survive, raise Admission and Parking Fees. If people won’t or don’t pay, shut it down. Sell the animals, return them to their natural wild habitat, or cook the tasty ones and charge a HUGE tasting fee.

In Florida, DisneyWorld offers in-state discounts to Florida residents. They do this to increase admissions and they operate WITHOUT a levy.

Currently, every Hamilton County home owner of a $100,000 home pays $10 a year to support the zoo. Does the homeowner receive ANY Zoo admission discount? If a homeowner is paying INTO the operational fund, shouldn’t they at least get a discount over a non-supporter?

Where do you draw the line? Why should we support, what is basically a “special interest” opportunity?

Coincidently, an investment group has completed its purchase of the eastern Iowa farm where "Field of Dreams" was filmed and plans to begin turning it into a large baseball and softball tournament complex in the spring. It was not generating enough funds to continue to operate, so it’s decided to modify their MARKETING approach.

Bottom Line, to paraphrase the movie “Field of Dreams”: If you Build It, people will come, unless they don’t and then MARKET IT BETTER.




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