FOBIA  Friends of Belle Isle Aquarium

Common Sense

The City of Detroit, with an ever-shrinking population and eroding tax-base, suffers a deficit of $200 million plus. One has to ask:

Does Detroit really need a Zoo?

With the cuts demanded of Detroit's Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, it seems absurd to issue $4 million dollars to a Zoo not within the city limits. On the other hand it does not seem to make sense to axe the one zoological institution that is actually in Detroit, the Belle Isle Aquarium.

Money that goes to the Detroit Zoo (Located in Royal Oak, a suburb of Detroit) has no redeeming benefits. Detroit citizens - who pay for the Royal Oak/Detroit Zoo have to pay the same admission fee as non-tax payers, plus they have to travel a distance to get there.
Furthermore, the additional benefits of visitors dining and spending in the vicinity have no positive impact on the City of Detroit.

Would it not make sense for Detroit to surrender the Zoo to Royal Oak and save $4 Million dollars per year?
Money that could be spent maintaining the Belle Isle Aquarium, which does bring visitors and spending to Detroit, and beautifying that wonderful jewel that belongs to the city - Belle Isle?

The city would even be able to sink a sizable amount of money into its hemorrhaging coffers.