According to the Arkansas Online article by Ginny LaRoe, “the Saline County Quorum Court will hold a special meeting Thursday to discuss the proposed $60 million ‘fairplex.’ Members are set to vote on whether to send to voters a 1 percent sales-tax proposal to build the Central Arkansas Fairplex in Benton.”
As Libertarian’s we would naturally oppose such a venture. However, if the people of Central Arkansas had not made similar effort many years ago WE would not have the facilities for such things as the State Fair or the 2nd Amendment Rally. People like us who never paid for the construction of Barton Coliseum or the “old fairgrounds” have enjoyed long term benefits which far out weighed the original costs.
In Libertopia land everything would be private and some great “developer in the Sky” would use private capital to fund the investment with the intent of making a good profit. Sadly that is NOT the way things are and unless we succeed in changing the world may never be again.
So the question for today is how do we respond? Can we at least show up at the meeting? Are there some amongst us who have local ground truth and enough facts for us to make an informed comment or suggest a reasoned alternative.
Just say NO! is not a realistic option.
The experience of Little Rock versus North Little Rock and the Traveling Baseball park illustrates that sometimes a government boondoggle may be the only show in town.
That is unless we can find another way by “Saying Yes! but …
