Zoo Speak: Dr. Doolittle is alive at Elk Grove City Hall, but how much is that doggie chimpanzee in the window?
https://www.elkgrovenews.net/2021/12/zoo-speak-dr-doolittle-is-alive-at-elk.html
By D.J. Blutarsky | Guest Commentary |
The
Sacramento, or Elk Grove Zoo has been in the region's news a lot
lately. Just this past week, the Sacramento City Council received a
report of possible new sites for the zoo's relocation. Meanwhile, the
City of Elk Grove has been quietly negotiating a deal of its own to
relocate the zoo to its borders as well. I say quietly negotiating, but
in reality, the City's PR machine has been dishing out hype like
stampeding buffalos!
What
struck me as most significant during the Sacramento City Council's
discussion was not the timely resurgence of their supposed interest in
keeping the zoo, but the admission that the inventory of animals is
owned by the City of Sacramento. So, when Elk Grove Mayor Bobbie
Singh-Allen told a local television station last week that it was "all
about the animals", it turns out she was absolutely right.
With
Mayor Singh-Allen serving as the City's Dr. Doolittle spokesperson, we
now know that every last peacock, flamingo, monkey, and snake has a
price on its head, and the City of Sacramento's staged effort to keep the
zoo just drove the price up for Elk Grove taxpayers. I wish I could say
that Elk Grove has a brilliant track record in negotiating deals, but
it is simply not true. Does anyone honestly believe that Costco would
not have come to Elk Grove if they didn't receive their 20-year tax
break from the City?
So now the zoo is knocking on our door and If you go to the zoo's website www.saczoo.org/animals,
they boast that they have "nearly 500 native, rare and endangered
species". While the "donate now" popups also permeate the web site,
let's not kid ourselves, the Sacramento City Council wants to be paid
up. If the animals are like real estate, each furry critter will have a
net present value, plus future earning value as well.
I
think anyone who has observed the Elk Grove City Council for any length
of time knows that when the hype precedes the deal, we are gonna pay
and pay dearly. Even if the zoo were to simply move to Elk
Grove on free land the taxpayers provide to them and keep the same
number of animals--the zoo is a money loser, plain and simple. City
leaders might talk up the multiplier effect and blah, blah, blah, but
even in the desirable Land Park area, the zoo is a money loser.
Our
very own Dr. Doolittle and her band of swashbuckling negotiators just
might want to get a second opinion on this deal, but at least she
should talk to the animals and ask them what they are worth! After all,
"If I could talk to the animals, just imagine it
Chatting to a chimp in chimpanzee
Imagine talking with a tiger, chatting to a cheetah
What a neat achievement that would be"
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3 comments
DJ is right. A zoo is a money pit. After construction of habitats; freezers for polar bears and penguins, large grown foliage and trees for shade and food for the herbivores like deer, giraffes and buffalo, which will be at incredible costs, the maintenance bills will continue to drain the city coffers or alternatively / concurrently, EG taxpayers wallets. Those Mello Roos, they are a 'comin.
Let's not forget the food and vet bills that go along with maintaining multitudes of exotic animals. Costs: astronomical. Even if every patron pays $40 to enter the zoo, buys a $40 t-shirt or cap, buys a $8 soda and a $12 hot dog, costs won't be met unless the public is drawn to this facility like it was Disneyland. Is that mouse available to act as our EG Zoo mascot?
If not, this endeavor will not be close to income neutral.
It's just another pipe dream. Remember the soccer / sports fields Gary Davis promised our kids? We couldn't afford that. But we can afford a zoo? Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice.....
I have read all the negative commentary zoo articles but like Costco we gave up tax dollars to get a Costco. Now do we know how much money a zoo will bring to Elk Grove? Surrounding businesses, new businesses? Because even though we gave up tax revenue to get Costco have you seen the amount of businesses that have been built an plans for businesses to be built around Costco. Not everything is always so negative when you look at the entire picture besides just focusing on a little portion of the picture.
No bucks, no Buck Rogers!
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