Read in the news about the Crazy Horse Memorial (South Dakota) making a fund raising push. 

I can't help but chuckle at this.  Three years ago we went on a family vacation to South Dakota.  Naturally we saw Mt. Rushmore, Bear Country, Custer State Park and a lot of the other wonderful sites in the area. 

The Crazy Horse Memorial is another up there.  I swore going in that I would not give them my money by going to see it.  After all, I had been there 20+ years prior as a kid and in that time very little progress had been made.  Well, one day in a weak moment I decided we would go.  $24.00 worth of admission fees later we were in.  They do have a beautiful visitor's center but…  The kicker was for that fee you don't get any closer than about 1/2 mile from the monument.  Want to get closer?  Fork over another $3.00 per person for a bus ride. 

Absolutely ridiculous! 

While there is no doubt the monument is a huge and worthwhile undertaking, it was started in 1948 – 57 years ago!  In that time they have shaped the mountain a bit and carved the face.  That is all!  Run by a "non-profit" organization, I have to believe this project isn't anything but a cash cow for the family that started it and the others involved.  Sure would love to get a good look at the organization's books and operations.  I am sure it would be very interesting.

Funding Needed For Mountainside Crazy Horse Sculpture

Crazy Horse Memorial Web Site