It's like colleges and universities in this state, they keep getting more and more tax money, and higher and higher tuition, but they can't seem to pay all their bills. Yet, the private schools, who don't get a dime of "public money" and whose tuition isn't substantially higher than the state universities, manage just fine. Why is that?

It's called "fiscal irresponsibility," and it's rampant in government. There is no reason for institutions like the zoo, or universities, or any other government run "business" to do well. They have a seemingly endless supply of revenue they can get from people who will never use their business. Gee, I wish I could have a business, like a restaurant, that could keep its doors open by taking money from every resident in town, most of whom will never grace the doors of my business. What a racket! In fact, that's exactly what it is: a racket! As in RACKETEER! As in CRIMINAL!

It's bullshine; pure and simple.

• Some things should die; some places must go out-of-business
  
• Collecting a zoo just to have one isn't value, it's snobbery.
  
• The roads are a problem, but we all get to use the roads for free.  Give me free zoo access in exchange and we can talk.
  
• Investment in failure must be the new get-rich-quick paradigm... remember the "bigger fool theory"?

I understand the argument. But there are plenty of things we "all" pay for whether we use them or not. Otherwise, every public street would be a toll road.

The difference is... we build roads because enough people use them.  Ever wonder why Royal Oak still has dirt roads in the city?  Let's raise a millage to pay for a zoo nobody goes to, just so we can say we have one... instead of paving the streets of the city that people actually use.  

I think it's a mistake to treat every government service and public institution like a business. They're not.

Even if I don't go, I might vote to tax myself for it because I recognize its value.

Having a zoo, just to "have a zoo" is ridiculous and a waste of money.  It is the pure perfect example of why government is wasteful and inefficient and causes more problems than it solves.

But I don't believe it's fair to argue the zoo is a "failing" institution because it can't be supported solely through user fees. Our road system isn't failing (well, OK, I HAVE seen the potholes) simply because user fees don't support them; our public colleges aren't necessarily failing because they aren't purely tuition-supported and our public libraries aren't failures because taxpayers choose to support them.

Okay, I'm getting agitated now.  Really freaking irritated.  The road system is failing.  Potholes and degredation.  THis winter is worse than others, but everyone complains about how bad Michigan's roads are.  And the problem?  The way they are paid for is inefficient.  Government relies upon tax of gasoline... but as you make cars more fuel-efficient and people drive less, the revenues to repair roads goes DOWN.  So yes, the road system in Michigan is failing.  It needs to be changed, but our leaders only want to raise the tax on gasoline to fix the problem.

Just like raising taxes on homeowners to pay for a failing zoo.  

The difference, again, is that people are actually using the roads.  You can go and drive on one anytime you want.  You can go to the library and remove books for free.  If you vote to raise my taxes on the zoo, I want free admission anytime.  If we're going to tax people, we're giving the product away for free.

As an aside, the privately funded Zoo Society funds a tremendous amount of the zoo's capital costs.....so combined with the entrance fees there is substantial private donor and user investment in the Detroit Zoo already......investment that's necessary if we want a zoo that's better than the privately funded ones like the one in the U.P. (can't think of it's name). I mean, hey, that's fun, but not exactly a world-class institution.

Oh my freaking god.  The people don't want a zoo.  That's the freaking point.  But a handful of people want to keep a zoo like collecting porcelain unicorns or beanie babies.  You never use them, but we gotta have one to be like everyone else.

The private society can solicit donations with L.Brookseee's assistance.  Every person who wants to vote to pay $10 in additional taxes can just donate directly to the freaking society.  Why is that so freaking hard?  People keep looking to the government and raising taxes, throwing money at the problem to solve it.  Some things should go out-of-business.