Mini Jungle Dome Losing Money

While it is not an entirely analogous facility, I'd be violating my oath as a Pork Forest Basher if I failed to mention that the Botanical Center in Des Moines is losing money hand over fist.

Yeah, yeah, I know that the Pork Forest is all about research and being "for the children," but at it's core it's a very large enclosed garden. Such facilities tend to be giant taxpayer sinkholes...as evidenced by the Botanical Center's losses in 2005 ($437K), 2004 ($600K), and 2003 ($851K). That's right, over the last three years, Des Moines's taxpayers have kicked in almost $2 million to keep the place open.

Yep, that's very financially responsible.

(Cross-posted at TuskandTalon)