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Illinois

* The setup…

Organizers say plans for Illinois’ two state fairs are moving ahead despite the fact that their funding is in limbo because of the state’s budget crisis.

But officials say there’ll be some efforts to save some money at the fairs in the southern Illinois town of Du Quoin. Those cutbacks include not having auto racing the first weekend and a move to put other acts on hold.

Much of the money for the two state fairs doesn’t come from General Revenue sources. Still…

* The Question: Considering the fiscal crisis, should the governor cancel one or both of the two state fairs next month? Explain.

posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Jul 13, 09 @ 1:22 pm

Comments

Tourism is our second biggest industry in Illinois, after agriculture. Let families both in and out of Illinois vacation in central Illinois at the Fair.

If DuQuoin is 2/3 the attendance of the Springfield based fair, let that continue as well at a breakeven or near breakeven cost basis.

Comment by Capitol View Monday, Jul 13, 09 @ 1:25 pm
Sure he should cancel them…if he plans on not-running for Governor and leaving the state. If he wished to remain a resident of Illinois, he should probably not mess with the fairs.

Comment by Diamond Dog Monday, Jul 13, 09 @ 1:31 pm
Reasonable question - but no. People come from near and far to enjoy the State Fair and (from what I know about it) the DuQuoin Fair is nearly as popular. I think they have the right idea there about scaling it back a bit, but I would say do not cancel either DuQuoin or the IL State Fair.

Comment by Hmm Monday, Jul 13, 09 @ 1:33 pm
No, don’t cancel the fairs, when the economy is bad people tend to stay close to home, and local fairs etc. do better.

Comment by Third Generation Chicago Native Monday, Jul 13, 09 @ 1:38 pm
Doesn’t really matter if he want’s too or not.

1. The State fairs are required by Statute to be held. To cancel them would require the GA to do so. Unlikely.

2. The Fairs with the exception to Grandstand Acts are not supported with GRF. To cancel them wouldn’t save the state money that could be used for other purposes. It is paid out of the State Fair Fund, which is supported by non-fair events (trade shows, horse shows, rodeos etc) and the gate fee.

One could argue that to cancel the grandstand acts, and some of the prizes would be appropriate, but thats about it.

3. Illinois is an agriculture state. As much as the “Chicago” people disagree/think, agriculture is a MAJOR part of revenue for the State, and it’s citizens. It would be unfair to penalize the very industry that provides income, and jobs for many of it’s citizens.

Comment by How Ironic Monday, Jul 13, 09 @ 1:39 pm
Do NOT cancel the fairs. Nothing good can come of it. Shorten them, scale back, but don’t nix altogether.

Comment by Patrick Star Monday, Jul 13, 09 @ 1:39 pm
Canceling the State Fair for economic reasons makes about as much sense as canceling Christmas for economic reasons

Comment by Secret Square Monday, Jul 13, 09 @ 1:47 pm
Nope, the negative impact on the vendors, businesses, local economies and employees affected by canceling the state fairs is not worth whatever savings the state would enjoy.

Comment by wndycty Monday, Jul 13, 09 @ 1:48 pm
If Gary Forby wants back in, he won’t let the car races at Duquoin be canceled either. We get a little testy when you Yankees try to tamper with the best fair in Illinois.

Comment by Little Egypt Monday, Jul 13, 09 @ 1:49 pm
There’s definitely something to be said about 1) psychology (cancelling the fair sends an “it’s really awful” message out there, one that kids who go to the fair wouldn’t miss) and 2) the “multiplier” effect on the local economy. I say keep it. The Olympics on the other hand…

Comment by lake county democrat Monday, Jul 13, 09 @ 1:52 pm
Just a thought, but I think this question makes as much sense to us downstate, as say Rich asking:

In these tough budget times for the City of Chicago, should the Taste of Chicago be canceled?

Thats about the only comparison I could make that is about the same and equally as foolish.

Comment by How Ironic Monday, Jul 13, 09 @ 1:55 pm
No, the fairs bring in money directly and indirectly to the State and the local economies. During a recession we need functions like this which help to get people to spend and which support economic activity.

Comment by Ghost Monday, Jul 13, 09 @ 1:57 pm
Dear how ironic: Thanks for the history lesson about the two fairs and the State Fair Fund. Which state dept. or statewide office provides overview of the Fund and fairs? Appreciate your sharing your knowledge.

Comment by jaundiced eye Monday, Jul 13, 09 @ 2:05 pm
Not unless he can find a way to replace the sales tax revenues in thos 2 cities.

Comment by Dan S, a voter and Cubs Fan Monday, Jul 13, 09 @ 2:16 pm
@ Juandiced Eye

Dept of Agriculture oversees the Fair, and the Fair Fund. County Fairs are also partially funded through grants from Ag, although in recent years those grants have been scaled back. Those grants are paid out of the Agriculture Premium Fund. So cutting them wouldn’t provide an immediate savings for GRF either.

DNR also expends some money for the fair. They run “Conservation World” and hold a small fishing derby for youngsters and have other wildlife themed exhibits for fair-goers to enjoy.

Comment by How Ironic Monday, Jul 13, 09 @ 2:21 pm
It wouldn’t be wise. It harms downstate businesses, small vendors, and the joys that come with the state fairs.

We don’t need two of them however.

Comment by VanillaMan Monday, Jul 13, 09 @ 2:36 pm
Thanks, How Ironic, for the prompt info on fair funding.

Comment by jaundiced eye Monday, Jul 13, 09 @ 2:36 pm
@ jaundiced eye

Your welcome. Now, come to the fair! And invite your friends and family. It’s a great time. Mullets aside.

Comment by How Ironic Monday, Jul 13, 09 @ 2:40 pm
VanMan, I grew up in Southern Illinois and the only fair I ever knew was DuQuoin. In a child’s eye, driving through the gates and down the promenade with huge green grassy fields and trees on each side, ending with the two Hayes mansions, one on each side, put me right outside the gates of Heaven. Continuing beyond the mansions was the fairgrounds, the lake, the golf course, the campground, racetrack, the beautiful grandstand, and the various animal barns. When I came to Springfield the first question I had walking through the gates of the Illinois State Fair was “where is the grass”? The Springfield fair was a HUGE disappointment compared with the beauty of Duquoin. Y’all really ought to do yourselves a favor and at least once in your life attend to the DuQuoin State Fair. It may have lost the Hambeltonian but it sure hasn’t lost its charm.

Comment by Little Egypt Monday, Jul 13, 09 @ 3:00 pm
Don’t you people read? He can’t cancel it anyway he DOES NOT have the authority!!! Just come down and enjoy it!

Comment by chimary Monday, Jul 13, 09 @ 3:00 pm
Do a cost-benefit analysis.

Do the fairs bring in hotel revenue, sales tax rev, etc? Does it balance the cost or generate a profit?

Need to know that info (or at least best guesses) before a yay or neigh.

Comment by Rob_N Monday, Jul 13, 09 @ 3:04 pm
The U of I did an analysis for us when I was at the Dept. of Ag. According to that study, state tax revenues directly related to the fair more than offset the difference between fair revenues and fair related expenditures for both fairs. Once you add in local tax revenues, increased employment and boosts to area businesses, the fairs provide a net gain to the state.

Comment by John Herath Monday, Jul 13, 09 @ 3:18 pm
Try booking a room during the fair. (some rates go up during the fair) read the statute 20 ILCS 210/ State Fair Act. Yes the fair needs to go on. We need more fair not fewer.

Comment by Down South Monday, Jul 13, 09 @ 3:29 pm
Everything that costs money and doesn’t help people should be cancelled. People are going to die because of budget cuts!

If he can’t officially cancel - he should reduce down to an afternoon.

Comment by No Brainer Monday, Jul 13, 09 @ 3:33 pm
@ No Brainer-

Olbviously you don’t have a firm grasp of how State Funding works. The Fair isn’t supported by GRF funding. You can’t cancel the fair and buy diapers with the State Fair Fund money. That’s why specific funds are set up.

Otherwise every agency would be raiding other agencies funds to pay for their expenses.

Read up before posting. It makes you look smarter.

Comment by How Ironic Monday, Jul 13, 09 @ 3:53 pm
Hey, what about all of us that get paid from the fair for our services… I’m not a big-wig, a corporation, or a gov’t agency. Let’s help out the little guy, and the big guys will eventually get theirs, too (they always do). Besides, not having money rarely seems to impede spending. Full throttle on the fairs!

Comment by TOMG Monday, Jul 13, 09 @ 4:07 pm
AA is a fan of the Fairs, but let’s not forget the other subsidies they receive. The largest is obviously the armada of State Troopers brought in from across the State. The DCEO Tourism Promotion Fund also provides a substantial in-kind or cash contribution for ad support. All the State agency booths, tents are also indirectly subsidizing the fair in a small way. (Why in the heck is there a CMS Tent at the State Fair? If those folks had a sense of humor, they would put a “dunk the Bureaucrat” tank or the like in there and charge $5 for three tries. The CMS-hating state workers alone would form a line halfway to the main gate.)

How ironic is correct on the fund raids. Only GUMBY can raid the money like that.

Comment by Arthur Andersen Monday, Jul 13, 09 @ 4:59 pm
Having seen both fair grounds, for all the splendor of DuQuion, you should be planting some crops to offset the cost. Come in the DNR gate—they have grass

Comment by urban fair fan Monday, Jul 13, 09 @ 5:34 pm
From this part of the state, the state fair looks like a boondoggle. But I’ve learned that downstate folks (like Springfield) feel that they are entitled to their boondoggles to balance out the great Chicago/Cook County boondoggles.

Then there’s the way-downstaters (DuQuoin) who think that they deserve their boondoggle to balance out the boondoggle up north (i.e., Springfield).

The Springfield fair organizers seem to outdo themselves every year with an atrocious selection of music acts- how do they do it?

If they didn’t have the Butter Cow, the whole thing would be a joke.

Comment by DuPage Dave Monday, Jul 13, 09 @ 6:23 pm
Let’s not forget that the DuQuoin State Fair for many years was privately owned and operated. The big draw was the Hambeltonian. When JRT became governor was when that fair became state owned.

Urban Fair Fan - they DO plant crops on all of the remaining acreage at DuQuoin. That fairgrounds dwarfs the Illinois State Fair.

Comment by Little Egypt Monday, Jul 13, 09 @ 6:38 pm
In hard times, it is sometimes necessary to offer up bread and circuses to the masses. And the State Fair is a better show than the “Gov and GA”.

Comment by Six Degrees of Separation Monday, Jul 13, 09 @ 9:09 pm
Great question but he should absolutely NOT cancel them. Fairs are of utmost importance to hillbillies and us recovering hillbillies.

– MrJM

Comment by MrJM Monday, Jul 13, 09 @ 9:21 pm
No way.

We’re having some tough times now. Boo-hoo, aren’t we special. It’s not the first time, and it won’t be the last.

The SOI is a going concern. There are few things that bring us all together. The fairs do that.

Give those 4H kids a chance to show their stuff, get all those Southern rockers out of rehab, tap the keg, deep fry everything to an inch of its life and let’s go! It’s summertime!

Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, Jul 14, 09 @ 8:11 am