NEWS OF THE NEW ZOO DOESN'T HAVE TO BE BLUE

Now that the voters rejected a new tax to pay for a new zoo, no one is sure what's going to happen. What seems to have escaped the attention of our county and city commissioners is that better is not always bigger.

That was the case two years ago when Boss Logie failed to twist enough arms to get approval of a $100 million (taxpayer-funded) expansion of John Ball Zoo over the sinkhole-ridden tract of land his pals had just optioned to purchase. That was also the case when in August taxpayers were asked to pony up the bucks to build a "wildlife park" on land the Meijer's family has generously donated for the project.

There are already enough big zoos within a few hours' drive of Grand Rapids in Chicago, Battle Creek, Toledo, and Detroit. Why do we need another one, especially when John Ball Zoo as it is has been drawing more and more visitors every year? Why not figure out what the current zoo is doing right and redevelop what we got with the resources available?

Why not make our small zoo unique rather than further impoverish the taxpayers (and provide one more opportunity for the Usual Suspects to dip their beaks) with a grand project that in the end will still be outdone by what other nearby cities have to offer?