Argument25

TOPIC: ARGUMENT25 - The following appeared in a memo from the mayor of the town of Hopewell.
"Two years ago, the town of Ocean View built a new municipal golf course and resort hotel. During the past two years, tourism in Ocean View has increased, new businesses have opened there, and Ocean View's tax revenues have risen by 30 percent. The best way to improve Hopewell's economy, and generate additional tax revenues, is to build a golf course and resort hotel similar to those in Ocean View."
WORDS: 423 TIME: 00:37:32 DATE: 2008-3-10 21:50:20

At first glance, it seems somewhat reasonable that there is a need for the town of Hopewell to build a golf course and resort hotel as Ocean View did two years ago. However, close scrutiny of the evidence unveils that the argument actually suffers from several vital pitfalls. For example, the argument is fraught with unwarranted assumptions that a golf course and resort would ameliorate Hopewell's economy. Besides, the comparison in this argument is incomplete and selective, etc. These flaws above would be discussed respectively.

To begin with, the increase of tourists in Ocean View may be not the result of the golf course and resort hotel built two years ago. There is an alternative explanation: tourists are favor of food produced in the town of Ocean View. That is to say, golf course and resort hotel are not the direct and main factors of tourists' consideration. These two new building are just a superficial factor in tourists’ decision. Moreover, the speaker mentions that new businesses have opened in Ocean View. Consider, for example, tourists prefer to swim in the swimming pools, which are among those new businesses.

Secondly, the speaker contributes Ocean View's tax revenues' boom to the new businesses newly developed in that town. Accurately speaking, the arguer may make an unwarranted assumption. The speaker do not tell more about what are taking pale in Ocean View in recent two years, therefore the mayor of Ocean View might have signed in a new law that aims to emphasize attractions on outputs of Ocean View. For example, the masses in Ocean View are being urged to plant more trees since two years ago. Thus, the better economy benefits from the trees have been planted.

Thirdly, albeit a new golf course and resort may influence Hopewell's financial status to some extent, more details about the compositions of Hopewell's economy must be given. Consider, for instance, if Hopewell's economy is far less developed than Ocean View's, the mayor of Hopewell may get into trouble of accumulating capital and negotiating with investors. And admittedly, no constructive outcomes may be attached. Consequently, it is fantastic to build a golf course and resort hotel that cost much more than Ocean View can afford.

In sum, the argument actually has several flaws as discussed above, and is not convincing as it stands. To solidify the argument, the speaker would have to take more factors into account before the final decision is made, and further demonstrate that Hopewell has the ability of build a golf house and resort hotel.