Rushmore Verses Crazy Horse

The last 35 years, the Republican Party has embraced a "there's no way the Federal Government can do ANYTHING better than the private sector" talking point.  Mind you the entire argument is a fraud.  There's no way you could do something as massive as the Post Office as efficiently and as cost effectively in the private sector.  If you got rid of federal food assistance tomorrow, the private sector/churches/charitable organizations wouldn't be able to stop the inevitable starvation of millions of Americans, including many children.  And stuff like roads, snow removal, water treatment; if the government stopped everything, this country would be broken and unable to function within 6 weeks.

This doesn't stop the right's anti-Government arguments, as Republicans insist a world without government would lead to everyone getting massive pay raises, bread being 10 cents a loaf, and no crime or blight anywhere.

Last year, I took my family to South Dakota.  We visited Mount Rushmore and numerous other sites across Western SD.  As we rolled into Rapid City, one of the more conservative areas in the US, you couldn't help but notice the abundance of shanty-esque mobile homes everywhere, the lowest of low income housing, where a shocking amount of South Dakotans reside.  The massive gap between the haves and the have nots, the undeniable consequences of far right conservative policy, are evident everywhere in Rapid City.  It was as noticeable as the lack of trees, which allowed you to see people's houses from shocking distances, a fact which emphasized the wealthier neighborhoods up on high, staring down on the poor wretched working class in their squalor beneath them.

I could write 20 blog pieces on how South Dakota highlighted failed conservative policy, but there's one point in particular which really hit home; the stark differences between how the Federal government runs Mt Rushmore and the Badlands, verses the private enterprise which is the Crazy Horse Monument.

As you drive into the Black Hills, Mount Rushmore unfolds in front of you.  From the first view you have of the glistening white rock which makes up the heads of Washington, Lincoln, Jefferson and Teddy Roosevelt, you see why it's one of our national treasures.  You walk through the main entrance with the mountain right in front of you, passing through the Avenue of States, and you come to a viewing area which gives you the mountain's splendor:

Still one of my favorite pictures.  There's a path you can take which walks in front of the monument, with informational kiosks on each of the four Presidents, and a display on the process to create the carvings.

Pretty good view from there too!  The total cost for me and my family to visit Mt. Rushmore?  Ten dollars, paid to the private company the Federal Government contracted with to get the parking ramp built.  That's it!  Sure, tax dollars pay for the upkeep and maintenance of the monument, as well as the Interstate quality road to get to the site, but since we're only talking a percentage of a cent a year, it's a fine value.  For a few cents from every tax payer, we get the national parks; memorable, Federally owned, breathtaking tourist attractions, scattered from coast to coast.  And these parks make a lot of money for the local communities.

Badlands is a little further east of the Black Hills, but also worth the trip.  We paid $15 to get our vehicle in there, but our admission was good for the entire day.  And the views there...

Stunning!  There are numerous other state and national parks in western South Dakota, and they're all wonderful.  It's a great example of tax dollars working successfully.

The Crazy Horse Monument is a different story.  It's a privately held monument, but one that's overdue.  Saluting the Native American population with a magnificent statue is worthwhile project.  As we entered Crazy Horse, we knew we were in for a different experience.  It was $28 just to enter, more than the cost of admission for Rushmore and the Badlands combined.  Even though they started blasting in 1948, nearly 70 years ago, the monument's still a rough outline, likely not to be finished for decades, if it ever does get finished.  As opposed to the other parks in the area, where the primary goal is to honor the land, everything about the Crazy Horse Monument seems to be about supplementing the income of the family who owns it, the Ziolkowskis.  

This is as close as $28 gets you to the actual monument:

It's still pretty, but from a distance (notice the no walking sign on the side of the road).  There's a tram which goes close to the bottom of the monument, for an additional $4 per person.  To get on the monument itself, you're looking at a donation of $100 or more, per person.  The 'welcome center' at Crazy Horse is all about getting more money out of you, with a cornucopia of cheap tourist baubles, over priced food, and flea market vendors.  

There's an effort by the family who owns the memorial, the Ziolkowskis, to give back to the Native American population, but there's also an undeniable feeling the main goal of the Crazy Horse Monument is to make a buck for the Ziolkowskis. They seem to be raking it in.

The Ziolkowski's family narrative of their history with Crazy Horse is one based on the mantra 'we didn't need the government!  We're doing this all ourselves!'  Here's where we find the first example of 'American West can do attitude' hypocrisy; Crazy Horse is a 501c3 non profit.  With the help of  the Federal government's qualification, they operate as a non-profit, tax free.  If they truly were a 'we can do it on our own' outfit, they wouldn't need the government's special tax status.

This monument has been in the works for almost 70 years, and the emphasis at the site is far more on the Ziolkowski's story rather than the Native American's.  More than once it felt like the Ziolkowskis were using the unjust treatment of the Native American's for the last 400+ years as cover for their money making operation, even encouraging Native American distrust of the US Government to keep people from asking the most obvious question; how did it only take 14 years to build Mt. Rushmore, but 70 years after they started with their project, how are the Ziolkowskis nowhere near completing Crazy Horse?

The government has helped Crazy Horse by building roads to the monument and erecting signs, directing people to their front door.  They've also helped with sewer lines, electricity, police and forest fire crews, government services the Ziolkowski's depend on.  And as you compare Crazy Horse to the other monuments of the area, you easily come to the conclusion that if Crazy Horse was another Federal Monument like Rushmore, it would've been finished decades ago.  I understand the Native American's distrust of the Federal Government.  This isn't a call for a government takeover; just an observation.

There are other privately owned attractions in the area.  We visited a mammoth burial site in the southern part of the Black Hills and it was sensational, but it too was a little pricey.  If Crazy Horse was out by itself, I don't think anyone would notice its faults, but when it's placed next to Rushmore, it becomes overpriced, underwhelming, and a perfect example of how the private sector can be out performed by the government.  Because tourism dollars flow into Crazy Horse, there seems to be no urgency to complete it.  This isn't an 'American West can do attitude.'  This seems more like a lack of motivation on behalf of the Ziolkowskis.

I recommend seeing Crazy Horse for three reasons.  First, it's impressive, even from a distance.  Second, even though probably only a small portion of your $28 entrance fee actually goes to completing the monument, this monument needs to be completed.  Third, you're out there anyway for the other monuments, so you might as well.  Go visit Rapid City, visit the monuments and parks, but don't be surprised if, unlike the Federal Government operated Mt. Rushmore and Badlands, when you leave Crazy Horse, you feel like you didn't get your money's worth.