Shortchanged fairs are hurting
State government’s funding failures have cut a swath wide and deep across the Sauk Valley.
Extension offices, soil and water conservation districts, state parks, human service providers, public schools, Medicaid providers, nursing homes and pension funds have suffered.
And now, with county fair season in full swing, we learn that the state’s monetary irresponsibility threatens the viability of these rural institutions.
For nearly 140 years, the state provided financial help for county fairs. A funding mechanism was set up in the 1920s when the Legislature approved pari-mutuel betting at racetracks. The state’s share went to a special fund that was distributed to county fairs.
But the expansion of gambling in the 1970s and ’80s – starting with the state lottery and proceeding to off-track betting and riverboat and land-based casinos – diminished funding. County fairs lost that revenue source entirely 10 years ago, but the Legislature voted to guarantee reimbursement to each fair of two-thirds of every dollar awarded in prize money to local exhibitors.
When Gov. Rod Blagojevich took office in 2003, that two-thirds reimbursement didn’t last long. By 2008, the state’s reimbursement rate fell to 27 percent.
We’re talking about a shortfall of more than $3.1 million last year. Divide that by 104 county fairs, and each fair was shorted an average of $29,800.
No wonder fairs have had to cut back. The Ogle County Fair, which ends Sunday near Oregon, had to cancel its livestock show. The Carroll County Fair, which opens Tuesday in Milledgeville, is hampered because the state owes it about $26,000.
The state has a strong interest in perpetuating fairs, which promote rural life, encourage young people’s interest in agriculture, provide entertainment, and offer a social gathering place.
But with state government’s neglectful ways, some county fairs may be facing extinction.
Fair officials are a hardy bunch. They’ve already sought other sources of funding, such as corporate sponsorships and fairgrounds rentals.
Is consolidation a possibility? For instance, Marshall and Putnam counties went together years ago to form the Marshall-Putnam Fair.
To guarantee their viability, fairs need to wean themselves from unreliable funding sources – namely, the state.
Local public support, through gate receipts, entry fees, donations and sponsorships, is more important than ever to keep fairs going.
Consider this another lesson about the hazard of becoming dependent on government, only to suffer when government reneges on its promises.
If you ever hear the words, “I’m from the government, and I’m here to help,” take our advice.
Run.
