The $850,000 question: Is this a good idea?

Last week FresnoBee.com News Blog writer, Mark Grossi, asked readers to weigh-in on their opinion of the San Joaquin Valley Air District’s $850k advertising budget. The wording of his question was somewhat skewed and leading. This antic may have worked on one reader but the rest of us didn’t fall for it. What resulted was one comment against the budget and seven comments in favor.

I am republishing my own comment here because I actually wrote something and blogs are very hard to populate for people that don’t like writing.

First of all, shock over an $850,000 annual marketing budget for an organization like the San Joaquin Valley Air District just illustrates the lack of education and the distorted view of the actual cost and value of marketing and advertising in the Fresno area. This organization is so vital to the well being of our community it should be applauded, not criticized.

I count eighteen programs on the air district’s website and several outreach events. Without proper marketing and advertising many of these programs and events wouldn’t even occur. And, although it’s our local paper that is writing this story, let us remember that the air district serves 3.5 million people and, from San Joaquin to Kern, spans eight counties. Wake up! In those terms, a little more than $100k per year, per county or less than twenty-five cents per person is a bargain.

This argument would hold true for any major organization or business, but for the San Joaquin Valley Air District it’s paramount. Fulfilling the mission and vision of this organization is so critical to combating the largest health threat Valley residents have ever faced—our deteriorating atmosphere. As a community we must reach a critical mass and, individually, each take immediate and decisive action. Unfortunately, too many people underestimate the seriousness of the problem, don’t believe the problem exists, or simply don’t care. Personally, I do my part to minimize my family’s effect on the Valley air, but I count on organizations like the air district to offset the ignorance and lack of environmental education.

The work of air district isn’t free. Yeah, we could demand a significantly lower marketing budget, but at what cost? What value do we place on the respiratory health of our elderly and children? What about the ability of our children to enjoy something as simple as playing outside? What value do you put on a blue sky? I mean BLUE—not blue-gray. What about a mountain view from the Valley floor? How does cooler summers and wetter winters sound?

So please, let’s not lose sight of the return on our investment. Don’t kid yourself. The reality of the situation is resolutely grave. Without adequate funding, especially in the area of marketing (think public outreach and education), the air district’s effectiveness in preventing and reversing the damage to our Valley air would be sizably diminished.

And the cost of that is more than this Valley resident can bear.

You can read the post with comments in its entirety at the FresnoBee.com News Blog.