The Taxpayers Legaue of Minnesota

A non-partisan, non-profit grassroots taxpayer advocacy organization for Minnesota

Ironworld Left to Rust PDF Print E-mail
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Friday, 20 November 2009 16:49

Millions in Taxpayer Subsidies Not Enough to Keep Museum Open

 ST. PAUL – Despite millions of dollars in taxpayer funding, Ironworld, a museum dedicated to the Iron Range, went dark this week. The Chisholm facility saw on average a mere 42 visitors per day  and relied heavily on tax dollars to survive.

“Thankfully after three decades of enormous taxpayer subsidies this monument to government waste has finally closed,” said Phil Krinkie, President of the Taxpayers League.

The museum faced criticism in 2008 when a KSTP investigation found the museum was taking $2 million per year in taxpayer money, a staggering $130 per visitor. Range DFLers back then tried to justify the expenditure citing that the money was taken out of the taconite production tax and not the general fund.  However, the taconite production tax is paid in lieu of property tax.

At the expense of taxpayers, the Iron Range Interpretative Center opened in 1977 with the goal of preserving the heritage and culture of the Range. A geology museum and an ethnic center were added in 1978 and 1979.

Last Updated on Friday, 20 November 2009 16:52