By Barb Shelly, Kansas City Star editorial page columnist
The Tour of Missouri will roll on -- at least for this year.
From Gov. Jay Nixon's office:
Missouri currently faces tremendous financial challenges, and the state must find ways to reduce spending. Even as my administration continues to tighten its belt, I believe that the 2009 Tour of Missouri should go forward. The race will go on this year, and Missourians deserve to know that state funds for the event are used transparently and accountably. They should know precisely how money for the Tour of Missouri is being spent, and that the event is being run in a way that minimizes the cost to taxpayers.
Nixon goes on to explain that he is seeking a "full and fair explanation of all expenditures" connected with the tour over the last three years.
OK, fine. It didn't seem especially fair to cancel the race this close to the date. But the bike race also strikes me as a strange way to spend public money. Tourism, they say. But how many people really come from out of state to watch pro cyclists pass by in a whirl?
If Missouri really wants to make money on cycling, it would seem to make more sense to build up a really good cross-state amateur bike tour, on a par with Iowa's Ragbrai. That kind of multi-day ride would bring business to campsites, motels, restaurants, etc. And Missouri's back roads make a beautiful ride.
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Spoken like a true Missoura-an...
Barb,
This is the second time in my scope that you've "spoken" before thinking this through -- the first being the now defunct porn-peddling shop on SW Trfway that you didn't see the big deal about. I see a trend.
Cycling is a big BIG deal to loads of Kansas Citians who see the Tour of Missouri as a huge delight and a welcome change from city-wide sanctioned baseball and football, which we tolerate and mildly enjoy but take no personal interest in.
The Tour of Missouri is currently a good return-on-investment and it has only 2 years under its belt. It promises and is on the way to being a huge ROI. It brings international recognition to the Midwest, knocking down mistaken views and involving both urban and rural interest -- heck, you can actually watch this event from a front row position just about anywhere along the route. Even grade school kids get to watch and teachers include the Tour in lesson plans -- and the kids get excited about their state and in staying in shape.
But then, all that just sort of whirled by you I guess.
1.5 million that pumps
1.5 million that pumps nearly 30 million into the state economy as it is a 600 miles nearly entire state involved race.
This my liberal friend who gets paid to write her opinion down on a daily basis is called return on investment.
if the state was paying $1.5 million for the tour and it generated only a half million back that would be a bad investment.
However the estimates are 1 tour of missouri brings in nearly 30 million.
Nixon and the rest of the state government should be investing the taxpayers dollars like this on a daily basis instead of fighting to instead create huge bureaucracies and/or make current government programs larger that show next to zero return on investment.
But can we really blame a governor who has spent nearly his ENTIRE professional life on the taxpayers dime in elected office?
Funding the Tour of Missouri
This is PETER KINDER, The Lieutenant Governor of Missouri, project. He is a Republican. The Governor Jay Nixon is a Democrat. If the Democrat shuts off funding to a Republican project at this late date regardless of the circumstance it looks very bad.
I'm hoping the tour makes enough money to justify the funding. If it doesn't, in this economy, it is dead next year.
"how many people really come
"how many people really come from out of state to watch pro cyclists pass by in a whirl"
Uh, lots of them, Barb. It's very similar to the amount of people who come from all around to watch an all-star game or college basketball playoffs, or really any other major sporting event--compared with how many come out to see the regional amateur championships in the same sport.
We already have lots of amateur bicycle racing around. It's a great scene. There are even multi-day events just as you describe.
They are lots of fun and draw out hundreds of fans--maybe even up into the low thousands on a good day for a few events.
Just like with other pro sports, the pro race draws easily a thousand times more fans, and from much longer distances, than an amateur race.
(And incidentally they'll have amateur races associated with the Tour of Missouri, either before or after the Tour stage, in several cities as well. And bicycle rides so regular folks can ride on the same route the Lance Armstrongs will a day later. So in fact the Tour itself has everything you're wishing for and a thousand time more in addition. And, based on actual experience, brings in approximately 1000 times the fans and out of state visitors than do events like the one you propose. And in terms of sports sponsorship by government [$150 million for the sports complex, anyone?], it's dead cheap and more than pays for itself in the tax revenue it generates.)