EDITORIAL For June 16-20, 2022

Cashier:  Your bill comes to $55.   $50 for your groceries, a dollar for the city and 80 cents golf tax.

Customer: Golf tax?  Who ever heard of a golf tax?

Cashier:  The city of Benson owns a golf course and also a restaurant at the golf course.   The golf course and restaurant lose hundreds of thousands of dollars every year.    And the money that the golf course loses comes from sales taxes.

Customer: So every time I buy something in Benson I have to pay a golf tax?

Cashier:  That’s the way it works.

Customer:  So what you’re saying is that if I make a purchase at any store in Benson I’m helping to pay for someone’s golf game.

Cashier:  And you’re also helping to pay the losses at the City Grill Restaurant.

Customer:  So I’m also subsidizing someone’s lunch at the city grill.

Customer: It’s amazing that people aren’t complaining about the golf tax and the restaurant tax.

Cashier:  There are people waiting in line so pay your golf tax.


I’m CAVE MANager Paul Lotsof and if the people of the Benson area knew that every time they make a purchase at any local store they were paying for someone’s golf game, they would be up in arms. But when you pay your sales tax you aren’t told a thing about the money losing golf course and who is paying the shortfall.   The Benson City government is a mass of wasteful spending and the golf course is just one example.   Since the city acquired the golf course and restaurant the people of this area have had to pay millions in sales taxes to subsidize those losses.  Buy a loaf of bread and you’re paying for someone’s beer at the city grill.

 Chris:  How much money does the city grill lose?

Paul:  That’s a good question.  About three years ago the finance manager said that the golf course was losing $450,000 in one fiscal year.

Chris:  I heard that the city had hired a management company to cut down the losses.   Did that do any good?

Paul:  Over a month ago I appeared before the city council and asked if the losses had been cut and whether hiring OB Sports did any good.   My question was ignored.   But we do have a clue.   If you look at the city’s new budget you’ll see that the city council has budgeted $590,000 to pay the losses in the coming fiscal year.

Chris:  That’s even worse than losing $450,000 a year.
How can they justify hitting the taxpayers with such losses?  Why don’t they shut the lousy thing down?

Paul:  Their line is that the golfers spend so much money in Benson that any losses are justified.   But they really have no data that back such an argument.   Another consideration is a hushed up housing  development that is planned for some land near the golf course.   Benson’s public officials will do anything to please real estate developers.

Chris:  Isn’t there an election this year?

Paul:  Yes there is an election and some candidate ought to be looking out for the taxpayers but that never happens.    There are no issues in Benson city elections.   The only issues are apple pie and the stars and stripes and how much we love our children and how much we love seniors.

Chris:  It’s no wonder that all that waste goes on at city hall.

Paul:  There are no real issues in Benson city elections.   And that’s why when you buy things in Benson you’re paying for someone’s golf game.  And you’re also paying for someone’s lunch and drinks at the City Grill.   Benson has one of the highest sales tax rates in Arizona and also very high utility rates. As long as nobody complains the waste will continue indefinitely.

I’m CAVE Manager Paul Lotsof and the opinions you’ve just heard are mine and not necessarily anyone else’s.   If you’d like a copy of this editorial or you’d like to express your opinions go to the CAVE web site and click on “Editorials”.   We’re at CAVEFM.com. That’s