Entertainment Isn’t Free

Following are opening paragraphs from last week’s publication of events around Orange County:

“A blog reader commented on the shortage of Mission Viejo events on the non-government list, and the point is well taken. It is a challenge to find private sector events when a city’s government has usurped the role of entertainment provider.

City hall is fully engaged in offering “free” movies, “free” classes and “free” meals – at taxpayer expense, of course. Even when attendees pay to attend city events, the admission is often a token amount that doesn’t cover taxpayers’ cost.”

A writer on a county blog posted a critical response to the paragraphs above, concluding: “The Naysayers attack on everything causes any real message they have to be lost in the garbled clutter of their angry words.”

Returning to the message of last week’s post, the function of government is not to entertain. If a city government met its responsibilities and had money left over, it should lower taxes instead of continuing to take money to become the people’s entertainment center. When government usurps a private-sector role, private initiative will diminish or take its enterprise elsewhere.

For a second opinion, check another blog that covers Mission Viejo, http://missionviejo.patch.com/search/events . Nearly every event in the city is arranged by government and funded by taxpayers. It hasn’t always been this way, but Mission Viejo is built out, and many of the 150 city employees have run out of real work. They’re still on the job, but there’s no job.

Contrary to the county blogger, Mission Viejo’s watchdogs with a vested interest in protecting their community are not naysayers who attack everything. But why did the blogger attack the messenger and then offer no evidence the message was wrong? City hall’s defenders share a common approach, launching personal attacks against anyone who dares to speak up.