Below is an email I just sent to our new Commisioners. They can be reached by email at commissioners@daviscountyutah.gov
Dear Commissioners,
I was concerned to read an article in the Deseret News that indicates the Utah Restaurant Association will be asking Davis County to contribute $36,000 to television advertising.
I would encourage the Commission to refuse this request as using taxpayer dollars to raise revenue for restaurants steals from other important programs. Programs such as the jail, flood control, and senior programs that were the purpose of our last tax increase. The URA will tell you that by contributing to the campaign to encourage eating out, you will be raising revenue for the county. Please, do not believe them. Businesses are perfectly capable of funding themselves, and people need no extra encouragement to "eat out".
It would also be contradictory of the government to, on the one hand, lower sales tax on unprepared food as an incentive to eat at home, and then fund commercials for prepared foods. There are plenty of opportunities for growth in the county that will occur without this kind of intervention.
If the URA wishes to have people visit their website, to learn about these smaller restaurants, I would be happy to drive traffic there by providing a link on my website. I'm certain that other websites would be happy to oblige in this manner as well.
It is my hope that this new Commission will exercise the 'common sense government' that is their mandate.
Many Thanks,Tyler Farrer
2 comments:
Nice work on responding quickly to this. I'm interested to see how things work out. I'm hoping your conservative sensibilities will be respected by the Commission because I agree with you that it is bad policy for government to finance marketing for private enterprise.
I'm skeptical. You have to know that you will face no end of ribbing from me if our new Republican "Conservative" commission gives in on this one. I haven't asked him about it but I am quite certain that the Democrat who ran for Seat A would never consider committing taxpayer funds to something like this. :-)
I agree. Let's hope this Commission succeeds as conservatives.
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