Face Reality, Bear World

Yellowstone Bear World, it seems, is having a hard time facing reality.

First, they asked the state for permission to pay their part-time workers less than the federal minimum wage -- a concession they say they need in order to stay open this summer.

Because the bill the park's lobbyist wrote didn't get out of committee -- where it's being held hostage there by State Rep. Mike Moyle because a bill he sponsored that would have given tax rebates on repair parts used for business airplanes owned by out-of-state residents, died in the same committee considering the bill -- the park now says they'll hire fewer part-time employees. Seems more fair than cutting wages for more workers. They resisted the temptation, however, of raising entry fees, which is a good thing, since at $16.95 for a single adult entry, their fees are already pretty steep.

I still think they could lower their entry fees and make up in volume what they're missing in sales, but I'm not the genius businessman with a lobbyist in Boise.

I don't know what's worse: Big businesses who are for Truth, Apple Pie and the American Way until business gets bad and they run to the state legislature for special laws to make it all better or to the county commission for waived property taxes, or the state legislators and county commissioners who bow to their whims, kowtowing out of fear that the businessmen Might Close Their Business (cue thunder and lightning).