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(11-15-2017 11:37 AM)geef Wrote:  

(11-15-2017 11:14 AM)rath v2.0 Wrote:  I heard the same bullish!t message yesterday as Berding pushed on May 25th, 2017.

Quote:Berding also suggested public investment would be a payback to the Lindner family for its largesse over the years.

“Carl Lindner and his family have brought thousands of jobs to the city for decades and never asked for help,” Berding said.

Riiiiight...

Not an apples to apples comparison, but it's been interesting to watch the FC Cincinnati stadium debate from my perspective. I'm a MLS season ticket holder (Portland Timbers) and unabashed soccer fan. The Timbers have a 21,000 seat stadium, 13,000 person season ticket waiting list, and they're part of this city's fabric in a way that's similar to Ohio State in Columbus. Basically, they can do no wrong. Their ownership announced plans for a stadium renovation and expansion last winter, and that expansion began last week. It's comparatively modest at $75 million total, but at no point was there a mention of public funding. The owner, Hank Paulson's son, doesn't have Lindner money, but he has plenty. And he framed the expansion as a way of investing in his business and his fans, who have essentially made his business successful. As a sports fan, the business language makes me cringe. But that's what it is, and that's how we should treat it. The county's tax dollars, especially if related to tourism, can be spent so much more effectively. Expand Findlay Market. Create a formal brewery district with incentives for new brewers to renovate buildings. Market the underground Cincinnati tours. Complete the Wasson Way Bike Trail. Just don't give away money to a billionaire, who in turn lines his own pockets.

While I think those are all nice projects, I"m not sure any of them truly promote tourism. I mean you really think people are going to fly to and stay in Cincinnati just to ride the Wasson Way Bike Trail? It could attract locals, but I don't see it bringing tourists. And if it's just locals, then you are largely just shuffling the same money to a different location.

Professional sports does, however, encourage tourism and outside money. Not as much as it likes to hype I'm sure but it does bring some. From fans to press to tv crews, you have people from out of the area coming here to spend money in the area and then leaving. That's money that wouldn't be spent here otherwise and that impacts a lot of businesses from hotels to restaurants to transportation especially when you consider the ripple effect.

If you want to change the hotel tax laws with regard to tourism, then let's debate that. But let's not forget that this money is part of a hotel tax which in part depends upon tourism. So we're talking about one of the few businesses that helps drive tourism which in turn increases hotel tax proceeds that would then be used in part to build necessary infrastructure for that business. Let me put it another way: This business helps attract the very people that primarily are actually paying the tax: tourists and out-of-towners who stay in hotels. Locals aren't the ones paying this tax. I guess if you are simply against any subsidies of any type to any business, then none of that matters. But as far as that stuff goes, this is about as reasonable of a request as you will see as I understand it.