The mayor often likes to pat himself on the back calling himself a ‘progressive’ person who ‘gets things done’. I guess I could argue with him on a couple of his ventures, but for the most part he has gotten things done, but sometimes in spite of something else. That is where it is no longer classified as ‘progressive’.
The hotel tax (BID) is a great example of this. When I think of progress I think of two things, either fixing something that is stagnant or counterproductive and needs to be fixed or creating a whole new project that improves the community. The hotel tax review doesn’t fit into either category. Since it’s inception, it has proven to be working because it brings in more revenue each year, which shouldn’t take a 14 member task force and a consultant to tell us, the money being spent by BID to market the city is bringing more business to the city. In other words, progress is not described as fixing something that is NOT broken. The BID tax is working fantastically, let it continue to market our city.
Of course greedy cookie jar boy (and last year his wife with the tennis center) want that money for other play things;
“Families, businesses, nonprofits, churches, sports teams, organizations and even governments that challenge the status quo have much greater success rates than those that fight to maintain the status quo,†Huether told a packed Oak View Branch library meeting room. Before today, he hasn’t said much on the topic.
“You know and I know, and our fellow citizens know, we are capable of more,†Huether said.
More then what? First off, as I pointed out above, when it comes to the BID tax, the status quo is working swimmingly, and secondly the proven growth in the tax tells me it is in very capable hands.
But of course, this wasn’t the only bullshit spewing from Mike’s mouth at the meeting, he ended with this tidbit;
“This will be the last time you hear from me until your work is completed.”
Yeah, just like you never hear from anyone talking about the Events Center siding. The task force (that he appointed) is a stacked deck of friends he talks to frequently (partial list);
Randell Beck, Jim Entenman, Tracy Turbak, City councilors Rick Kiley and Rex Rolfing. And then there is the hiring of a consultant firm that stuck us with an indoor aquatic center in the wrong part of town.
All this is is a money grab for the administration. Nothing is broken, let the BID tax continue to market our city.