The Statue of Liberty was closed for 12 days because of the government shutdown, but the State of New York used its own funds to reopen the site on Sunday. The state will pay $61,600 everyday to keep the site open. New York governor Andrew Cuomo called the decision an “unusual state action,” but said that reopening the iconic site would benefit New York economically. “Just on the economics of the matter, it makes obvious sense for us to pay for the cost of operation, which pales in comparison to the amount of money we are now losing,” Cuomo said.
The Statue of Liberty brings the state of New York a great deal of money from tourists. The National Park Service reported that in 2011, the statue brought in $200 million from over 3.7 million visitors. Each visitor pays a fee of $35, and it is estimated that around 10,000 people visit everyday.
Jobs were also lost during the period that the Statue of Liberty was closed. Bradford Hill, president of Evelyn Hill Inc., the company that runs nearby gift shops and restaurants, says that 110 of his employees were laid off during the shutdown. Hill praised the efforts of the state to reopen the site, saying: “it is heartening to know that when Washington, D.C. fails to deliver to Americans, and there is no end to the gridlock in sight, we have a state that we can rely on to step up to the plate and take over critical responsibilities. Today with the leadership of Governor Cuomo, we opened up our doors again today, and welcomed back our employees.”
