Letter to editor for debate

[dusty27]

This letter appeared in the 7/8/04 edition of the Free Lance Star, the Fredericksburg, VA paper. Does this man have valid points? Is he missing one side of the equation altogether?

Spotsylvania needs to make tourism profitable

July 8, 2004 1:09 am

Regarding the July 1 article "Muster call on tourism":

Spotsylvania County is finally doing something about tourism, and for this I applaud. The problem is not to be found in asking people in the county for answers. I must admit it is a good idea.

The county needs to stop allowing unqualified people to run the process. There are people in Spotsylvania County with business and history degrees working for next to nothing in jobs that are not fit for people with their education. Why is it that the county cannot see this? Who is running the tourism department now? We need someone with a degree in business and who knows marketing. We need new blood to take a fresh look at how our tax dollars are being spent.

For the 140th anniversary re-enactment of the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House, we spent a quarter of a million dollars. Where did all that money go? I have sent e-mails to four different county sources (including my supervisor) asking for this information, and not a single person has returned my e-mail.

How much was given to the film company that Deputy County Administrator Doug Barnes touted in the paper, and where is my copy?

Think about that for a minute: A quarter of a million dollars for an event, and tax-paying county residents still had to buy $40-plus tickets to attend. My degree is not even in business, and I know something smells fishy.

The county needs to stop the waste and get some people who know what they are doing.

Dave Pritchett

Spotsylvania

[Matthew.Rector]

Re: Letter to editor for debate

Jeesh.
Sounds like someone has alot of time on their hands. Maybe he thinks he can do a better job?

[billwatson]

Re: Letter to editor for debate

Interesting. Figure this had to happen.

I don't know why the county isn't opening its books -- it will have to, eventually. My expectation is that a lot of the $250,000 is going to be "in-kind" contributions, that is, county workers on a backhoe or clerking in support of registration. I also think that it's only been a couple of months since the event, and probably everything isn't sorted out yet. Not everyone bills or pays on a timely cycle.

The guy makes another point I'm quite sensitive to, and one that has been handled thoughtfully elsewhere, at least by private enterprise. We have a tourist attrraction here in the Poconos that is open without charge or at reduced charge, I forget which, to anyone with a local zipcode (encompassing several zips). The idea is that local folks who put up with the traffic and otherwise allow the attraction to operate get a break when they want to visit the attraction. There's really no reason I can think of why that can't happen at an event with county tax dollars behind it: County residents can simply get discounted tickets to the event in recognition of the fact that they have already paid part of the price in taxes.

There's more going on with the event than just the event itself, I suspect. The number of folks who attended as spectators was truly impressive, and the number who got up before sunrise to come see the Muleshoe Assault was quite surprising. Somebody counted heads; those are hard numbers that bear out strong interest in history-based tourism, and that's fodder for the economic development people to convince folks it's economically viable in that county.

Just some rambling. Grew up in a tourist area, work in one now. Tourism, economically, has some attractive sides to it (and some not so attractive). But the first thing you need is an attraction, and that's what I think the county's support of this event was really aiming to show, that they've got one under their noses and need to both protect it and learn how to use it.

[dusty27]

Re: Letter to editor for debate

My immediate thought after reading this letter was "what about all the money spent in the county during the weekend on hotels, restaurants, convenience stores, gas stations, etc.?"

I wonder if a study/survey was/is being done with area businesses to see a tangible increase in business in the area of the event?

I also like the idea that Bill put out there for a discount for the locals to the event.

[Matthew.Rector]

Re: Letter to editor for debate

I agree fully. Local tax payers should get a break when it comes to this sort of thing. Some would likely spend that extra money on refreshments and the such.

[billwatson]

Re: Letter to editor for debate

Just to put the event further in context: An event like this, backed by a county or even sometimes when it's backed by a chamber of commerce, is like a loss-leader in a supermarket or a convention hall in a beach town. The loss leader is, by definition, sold at a loss, but it is expected to attract people to the supermarket. The convention hall always (always) operates at a loss, but it brings people into the town during the off season, to the benefit of the economic community that makes its living off rooms, meals, entertainment.

In this particular case, the county knew it was putting money into something it would not get back directly but, as someone pointed out, motels and whatnot got a shot in the arm from the crowd.

The folks who shout "AHA! Your convention hall is OPERATING AT A LOSS!" either don't get it or have a cousin who needs a job, which is what that letter really smacks of. He's not against the whole thing, he just thinks it can be better run. And I bet he has a cousin who needs a county job.

One caveat: he talks about sending an email to his "supervisor." In Virginia, is that the title for county elected officials, or is he some kind of county employee already and he means his "work supervisor" who is also a county bureaucrat of some sort? Doesn't really matter, just that curiosity thing.....

[dusty27]

Re: Letter to editor for debate

Bill, the elected board in Spotsylvania is known as the "Board of Supervisors"

[marine05]

Re: Letter to editor for debate

I was wondering if the 250K was planned to be used for additional county services, such as sanitary services/waste removal, etc.

s/f

DJM

[Vuhginyuh]

Re: Letter to editor for debate

Is this considered a windfall profit or an activity not on a line item budget? In our county this money goes into the general fund where it vanishes immediately without a trace.