Friday, August 7, 2009
40 Jealous Whores / Around Town / Kotz / Media / Politics / The Economy Why Did We Hire McNeely, Pigott & Fox in the First Place?
Posted by Pete Kotz on Fri, Aug 7, 2009 at 5:25 AM
Comments (8)
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Those are some careless accusations you are flinging around. Tourism is important to Nashville. It is the job of the Convention and Visitors Bureau to bring tourists and conventions to Nashville.
http://web.utk.edu/~tourism/reports/Davidson-Co-06.pdf
Are you suggesting that money spent on bringing people to Nashville is wasted? Or, are you suggesting that it is only a waste when you don't like what they do?
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No, I'm not suggesting the tourism bureau is wasting money at all. What I am suggesting is that they've already been a vigorous PR arm for the convention center -- and not always an honest one. So if we already have a 60-employee public agency shilling for this, why do we need to hire a second one?
Pete, please explain how the CVB hasn't been honest, or maybe refer me to a past article describing that. I'm new to reading your stuff, and would like more info on the honesty remark.
Since when did building a much needed convention center become such an evil proposition?
MDHA paid MP&F $458,000 to carry out the PR operation of the project. It looks like the firm hasn't done a very good job, considering the number of naysayers and skeptics still out there.
I will give you a reference to their dishonesty. One of the CVB minions main talking points is that the current facility paid for itself without any additional funding. This is not true since the building was not paid for with meeting revenue but was instead paid for with citywide hotel/motel taxes completely unrelated to their business. That nugget gets floated about even when you give them the revenue figures as well as point out their almost continuous string of annual operating losses and dependency on Metro to cover the CVB's employment benefits (retirement and healthcare). As far as I can tell they haven't even covered all their accumulated operating losses let alone their capital costs.
I'm kind of jammed up today, Rick, so I don't have time to do the research. But I'll give you the two biggest ones off the top of my head.
They've been peddling two sets of numbers on how many visitors the new center will attract. The higher one is used to sell laypeople like you and me who are easily fooled. And the lower one is given to hoteliers they're trying to get interested in building or managing the city-owned hotel that goes with it. The hoteliers know too much about the industry, so you can't bullshit them with inflated numbers. (The city and the bureau also haven't revealed the details or cost of said hotel yet.)
They're also peddling numbers that show Nashville surpassing Orlando as a visitor destination, though Orlando is a convention powerhouse, has way more amenities with all its theme parks, etc., and will still have more convention space even after the Music City Center is built.
But if you want specific details and numbers, just do a "convention center" search on our blog archives.
Pete, great post in calling a spade a spade.
I have many friends in the PR business and they all have similar comment:
It was unethical of MP&F, as incestuously familiar with Metro's contracting requirements as they are, to have proceeded with work so improperly commissioned. They are also irritated that this situation has brought such scrutiny to their industry, hurting the image of REAL hard-working and honest PR pros.
Here's what I think: My 10-year old daughter could amass more than the 120 Facebook friends MP&F found for the Convention Center, and she could put together more compelling Tweets, too. They stole $10,000 -- better than two months salary for most highly-paid, full-time employees -- to fuck around online. Gawd. Damn. Crooks!
There are two sides to every coin. While true, MDHA was responsible for managing this contract, MP&F is solely responsible for ripping off Davidson County residents for such "proud" work. Please tell me SOMEONE in Metro will formally request a refund.
The cost of the new Afro American Museum is estimated at $33 million dollars to finish out 55,000 square feet. The city also granted $10 million dollars to the Afro American Museum.
Yet they offer only $5 million dollars in replacement value to a fully functioning tourist attraction, the 30,000 square foot Musicians Hall of Fame. How does the MDHA expect the MHOF to buy property and finish out 30,000 square feet for $5 million dollars? This is not fair market value.
This morning, Judge Barbara Haynes ruled in favor of the Metro Development and Housing Authority and told Joe Chambers to be out of The Musicians Hall of Fame in seven days.
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