The Circus Economics of Pasco and Kennewick
A town’s $100 circus tax backfires, driving away business to its neighbor across the river.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Another circus has come and gone, and incidentally carried away with it a lot of Kennewick money. It didn’t carry away all the Kennewick money that passed through the ticket window; it left a very substantial portion of it with the Pasco grocer, the Pasco butcher, the Pasco baker, and the Pasco feed man. One attendant broke his arm, and the Pasco doctor came in for his share of Kennewick’s money. We are not writing this because we think it will do anybody any good. We wrote the same story a year ago when the circus came to Pasco, but the city ordinance which says that every circus that pitches its tent in Kennewick must fatten the public purse $100 is still in force and effect. In other words, we are writing big figures on our statute books and paying Pasco for getting us a circus now and then. Al. G. Barnes, owner of the circus which showed in Pasco Saturday, said Kennewick was a much better circus town than Pasco, but that he couldn’t see his way clear to pay a $100 license when he could show in Pasco and get the Kennewick crowd. This may be good business on Kennewick’s part, but we fail to see it that way.
“In other words, we are writing big figures on our statute books and paying Pasco for getting us a circus now and then.”
The historic sibling rivalry between Kennewick and Pasco remains alive, though it has shifted from circus licensing to debates over regional development and infrastructure. The editor’s frustration with rigid municipal ordinances hindering economic flexibility is a timeless civic grievance.
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