Beware the beach boondoggle

Move over Teapot Museum, there's a new contender stepping up:

But just how much is there to gain by allowing the low-profile barriers, aside from the impact on individual property owners? The News & Observer of Raleigh, quoting a Western Carolina University study, reported Sunday that terminal groins at all 10 erosion-affected inlets would save $18 million in property tax revenue over 30 years. That's about $600,000 a year. But it could cost three times that over the same timeframe to build and maintain even one.

Math has never been my strong suit, but that appears to break down to spending $1.8 million to save $60,000.