My story this week on the fiscal challenges of the Shasta District Fair and other fairs around the state is among the topics of discussion in the Capital Press' latest podcast, which was posted today.The podcast appears each week on the newspaper's flagship blog, Blogriculture. In this week's edition, editors and reporters also discuss the Labor Department’s U-turn on child labor regulations, an upcoming court hearing on genetically modified sugar beets, and a new development in a lawsuit challenging an international agreement on the softwood lumber trade. To listen, click here.
Here is a transcript of what I said:
California's 79 local fairgrounds are entering their fifth month without any funding from the state after Gov. Jerry Brown zeroed out the $32 million that goes to fairs each calendar year. So fairs are having to find creative ways to make ends meet. For example, at the Shasta District Fair in Anderson, a recently created boosters' club is selling raffle tickets for free kids' rides and plans to operate a beer booth to support the festival in June. At the Siskiyou Golden Fair in Yreka, operators are holding a consignment auction Saturday to raise funds. And the little fair in Tulelake, decided just to ask for donations at the gate rather than charge admission - and it made more money. Lawmakers are trying to restore at least some of the money. State Sen. Doug LaMalfa is carrying a bill that would create an eight-character vanity plate and use the proceeds for various rural needs, including fairs and the Williamson Act tax break for agricultural land. And another bill by Assemblywoman Fiona Ma would create a new commission to govern fairs and help them develop ways to generate revenue. Either way, fairs are having to try to get by with less.You can track the LaMalfa bill's progress and read analyses of the bill by clicking here.
(Pictured is Chris Workman, CEO of the Shasta District Fair.)
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