Posted on 11/07/2005 6:43:24 AM PST by Ellesu
Louisiana will spend $45 million on sports and livestock facilities and other new projects in spite of a looming deficit, frustrating some officials who say the frivolity reinforces the state's history of political patronage. "We're in Washington with our hands out asking for $2 billion plus, and rather than holding on to the money to see what the needs are, they're spending it on local projects financing goat shows and lawn-mower races," says state Sen. Robert Barham, Oak Ridge Republican. Supporters of the $4 million Morehouse Parish Equine Center say it will give a much-needed boost to the economy. Jimmy Christmas, center chairman, says it will be used for horse, cow, dog, goat and art shows; rodeos; auctions; crawfish festivals; lawn-mower races; religious functions; an animal shelter; and a community center.
(Excerpt) Read more at washtimes.com ...
Nothing like a good goat show to take your mind off of being homeless and jobless.
Still stuck on stupid.
They don't call it "Lousy-anna" for nothing.
The travel and tourism dollar brings in much needed sales tax revenue, IDIOTS!
We raise dairy goats and travel to surrounding states to shows. We purchase gas, food, lodging, and various other oh-crap-I-left-it-at-the-barn stuff. Thank the Lord for Wallyworld and convenience stores. Plus the fact that many of us buy/sell livestock and cottage goods at or enroute.
Sports facilities bring in tons of money. It's called Capitalism. God Bless It and thank you!
The cattle people reeeeeaaaaallllyyyy do it up right, tho.
Isn't he a cartoon character? Strangely appropriate.
Is that Extender progeny?
Moon's gonna be all over this today. Be sure to listen.
http://www.moongriffon.com/
I just don't think this is the time to be building cow barns. We must only stress essentials.
Well, reviving its activity as a Party State for visitors from the other 49 is probably the quickest way for LA to get back in the dough. You can only make so much money from selling crayfish to Illinois.
Sounds wonderful. Tell me though, who is footing the bill for this? Personally I don't feel too badly about getting someone into a home and off the street. I do feel like La ought to finance their own goat rope and stay out of my pocket in doing it. This is some more reason that La is stuck in the "Kingfish" mentality and always will.
You have fallen for the fallacy of the visible benefit while ignoring the invisible cost. The government giving money for a goat show or something like that does not create wealth. It merely shifts wealth from one diverse group to one localized group. You see the benefit to the goat herders, it is very visible. However, you don't see the small amount taken from every other person in the state to give to the goat herders. All of those people would have spent that money in a more efficient manner than the goat herders. There is no free lunch. Money taken from some people to give to others does not create wealth. It's merely a transfer. More likley, even, it decreases long term wealth because it was taken from people who earned it and would have spent it in an efficient manner and given to people who didn't earn it and will spend it while engaged in conduct that is economically inefficient.
Bite Me. My post wasn't just about goats. It was about STATE REVENUE FROM SALES TAXES!!!!! Getting someone off the streets is fine and dandy and they have a brand new trailer home on my dollar that will generate no income for the state. I suppose the 2K debit card went to a down payment? Hardly! Stadiums and Expo facilities GENERATE REVENUE!! I don't like my dollar going to welfare. I prefer to spend it and donate it the way I see fit.
Good argument.
My post wasn't just about goats. It was about STATE REVENUE FROM SALES TAXES!!!!! Getting someone off the streets is fine and dandy and they have a brand new trailer home on my dollar that will generate no income for the state. I suppose the 2K debit card went to a down payment? Hardly! Stadiums and Expo facilities GENERATE REVENUE!! I don't like my dollar going to welfare. I prefer to spend it and donate it the way I see fit.
Ok, so in addition to goat farms, I will add in stadiums, etc. The fact of the matter is that there have been a vast number of studies on stadiums, etc. And they do not create wealth, nor do they create sales taxes. The shift wealth from one group to another, and they shift sales tax dollars from certain types of entertainment to others.
Face it, you just want to get money for your goat farm, and/or you have a limited understanding of economics.
If stadium and expo facilities are such great money-makers, how come private concerns aren't lining up for the opportunity to build them. Oh, I see, they're great capitalist money-makers for some when all the costs are borne by the public at large. Sounds more like corporate socialism than capitalism to me.
The travel and tourism dollar brings in much needed sales tax revenue, IDIOTS!
We raise dairy goats and travel to surrounding states to shows. We purchase gas, food, lodging, and various other oh-crap-I-left-it-at-the-barn stuff. Thank the Lord for Wallyworld and convenience stores. Plus the fact that many of us buy/sell livestock and cottage goods at or enroute. ""
I agree with you about the amount of dollars that come into a community when various kinds of events- agricultural and otherwise- are held in your area. I spend alot of money on the travel expenses competing with my horses.
I have to question the priority list of the officials who are placing this kind of money ahead of getting the water turned back on where people are trying to clean up the mess from the hurricane. Louisiana seems to have a genetic defect where taking care of the constituents is concerned.
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