North Dakota State Fair Should be Privatized

February 6, 2017 T. Arthur Mason North Dakota

The North Dakota State Fair Association released this year’s entertainment lineup for the 2017 event. Each year between 200,000 to 300,000 people attend the North Dakota State Fair. But there’s a couple of things you may not know about it. First, that it’s subsidized by taxpayer dollars. Second, that it’s not a money-maker.

It wasn’t that many years ago that a new grandstand was built at the fairgrounds… to the tune of $15 million. Just four years ago, Rob Port at the SayAnything Blog reported that in spite of the increase in attendance at the time, the fair had been losing money since 1999.

Even if we removed the fact that the state fair has not been making money, is it appropriate that state taxpayers subsidize such an event? I don’t believe so. Such endeavors are properly suited for the private sector, not the public one. And if the event cannot be profitable and stand on it’s own, then it shouldn’t stand at all.

Sometimes decisions such as this are not popular. But given the current economic climate of North Dakota, where the legislature is having to find ways to make cuts, it would be the right thing for them to begin moving towards fully privatizing the North Dakota State Fair. Besides, when considering the proper role of government, the move would be the right thing to do.

Sources:

1. https://www.sayanythingblog.com/entry/north-dakota-state-fair-hast-lost-11-4-million-since-1999/

2. http://www.legis.nd.gov/cencode/t04c02-1.pdf

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About T. Arthur Mason 883 Articles
T. Arthur Mason is a native North Dakotan who has spent nearly all of his life in the Peace Garden State. As the third of four children in Western North Dakota, Mason grew to appreciate family and the outdoors. Some of his fondest memories are annual deer hunts with family and friends. In his early teenage years, faith became a central part of T. Arthur Mason's life. He and the majority of his family attend church together on a weekly basis and find this a fulfilling aspect of their lives. Through the influence of his father, T. Arthur Mason became intrigued with politics. As a boy, he attended political events with his father and enjoyed the friendships that resulted as a byproduct of those political associations. As Mason grew older, he became convinced that the quote often attributed to Thomas Jefferson was true, "That government is best which governs least." Today, T. Arthur Mason enjoys time with his wife and children, an occasional hunt, and an increasingly active life on the political scene. This blog is the fulfillment of a dream to design a web site in the realm of politics and to advocate for the principles of Liberty and constitutionally limited government. On behalf of all those that contribute to The Minuteman, we hope you enjoy your time on the site and will share the message with others.

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