The following is only my opinion, and my best guesses: Not all of the blame can be laid at the carney's feet. When the city fathers and business managers, in several of Alaska's cities/towns/private parking lots seen all the money being paid for the rides, they got greedy, and demanded extra "unofficial fees" from the owners.
The owners had invested so much into the equipment that their only choice was to pay the "unofficial fees" or go out of business. Between what they owed the banks, the "fees", wear and tear on, and replacement of the equipment, and everything else, it was touch and go all the time.
I believe that the owners of Golden Wheels are average people, just caught between a rock and a hard spot now and then. How would I have handled the extra "fees"? I like to think that I would have told them to stuff it, but when you have family to feed?
Myself, I would lay most of the blame for the equipment failures to the evil ones who insisted that their palms be greased.