Dennis: Gummint Competition Scary

For a decade, Steve and Scott Ethington have been delighting Idahoans by filling the fall air with ghoulish terror at The Haunted World in Caldwell. This year, however, the businessmen fear for their own survival because Canyon County has decided to go into the horror business, too, with “Scare at the Fair.” The Haunted World “is a major source of our livelihood,” said Steve Ethington. We have invested a considerable amount into this business”/ Dennis Mansfield . More here .

• Daily politics brief , and: Wednesday morning news /Treasured Valley
• Everyone with a Che Guevera poster on the wall /Adam’s Blog
• Backward states /Fort Boise
• I’m a journalist and I tweet — and here’s why /Kevin Richert
• Census will determine how much clout West has /Rocky Barker

Question: Should local government directly compete against private enterprise in a specific activity, like a well-established Haunted House?