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The recently completed Childrens Museum cost $60 million to construct. The City contributed $39.5 million of the cost, including a $20 million certificate of obligation issued without voter authorization.
That’s right. The City doubled its financial commitment without asking us.
So the taxpayers are on the hook for more than $70 million in principal and interest over the term of the bonds.
As a result, the entrance fees are prohibitively expensive for most El Pasoans, many of whom struggle to pay their rent and utilities. Many others struggle to feed their families.
Our Chief Instigator visited the museum yesterday with his mother and toddler. He paid $20 for himself, $17 for his senior mother, and $17 for his daughter, for a total cost of $54.
A typical family of four (2 non-senior parents and 2 children) would pay $74 total for a day pass.
The museum was impressive inside with many nice exhibits and there were many visitors, especially from Kern, Coronado, the Upper Valley, and the affluent neighborhoods of Ciudad Juárez.
The dirty secret about large City-built amenities is that they are very expensive to visit. The cost for a family of four at our City water parks is $60. For a Chihuahuas game at the City-built Ballpark, expect to pay over $100 for a family of four, not including food or drinks.
This begs the question. For whom were these facilities built? Certainly not for El Pasoans at large!
We have always insisted that government should stay out of the entertainment business and that large entertainment facilities should be built by the private sector, like the amphitheater planned for the northeast.
In the end, publicly financed, non-essential capital improvement projects are a drag on our local economy.
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