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Attractions Should Sell Themselves

Clark Sheets

Des Moines Register

June 17, 2006

[Note: This material is copyright by the Des Moines Register, and is reproduced here as a matter of "fair use" for non-commercial, educational purposes only. Any other use may require the prior approval of the Des Moines Register.]

I had to read the June 9 headline, “Civic Leaders Seek 1¢ Tax to Help Area Attractions,” concerning the call for a 1-cent sales-tax increase to “help area attractions” several times before I realized what bothered me about it.

If these are truly attractions‚ why is it they need extra help?

Does an attractive house have difficulty getting sold? If these places don’t have the inherent appeal to be solvent on their own, why should taxpayers be asked to throw more money at them?

A more honest plea would have been “extra tax money needed to aid unattractive area locations.”

Clark Sheets
Sheldon