Works In Progress - July 2003 - Staying Inactive Is Downright Foolish: Reaction to Proposed Conference Center

If y'all know that the $10 million of Olympia PFD money combined with $5 million of Olympia funds earmarked for building a Conference Center could be spent on a swimming pool, a library, or West Bay land acquisition for Parks, then staying inactive about getting this on the ballot is apathetic, ignorant and downright foolish.

In 2003, many tourist-attracting events that depend on Lodging Tax grants went unpaid for. If y'all know that the $8K cut from the Procession of the Species; and the $8K cut from the Bigelow House budget; and the $5K denied the Greater Olympia Dixieland Jazz Society; and the $2.6K denied the Olympia Symphony Orchestra; and the $5K denied the Olympia Farmer's Market for the Bluegrass Fest are only the beginning of the end of funding for those worthy enterprises that bring thousands of tourist dollars to our City, then staying inactive is downright foolish.

If y'all know that $67K from that same fund went to the Visitor Commerce Bureau (VCB), which has been negligent in distributing VCB brochures along the I-5 corridor and the airport, then staying inactive is downright foolish.

If y'all know that $60K of the Lodging Tax grant fund was squirreled away for use in future marketing for the Conference Center, which may or may not be feasible, and excludes the abovementioned worthy enterprises that bring many tourists into Olympia but need some small subsidy to exist, then staying inactive is downright foolish.

If y'all know that City Manager Dick Cushing presented a Pro Forma O&M 2008 sheet to the City Council on June 3, 2003 showing that every single dollar projected to be collected by the City in Lodging Tax revenues is intended to offset the $605K negative bottom-line of Conference Center operations (unless part of that money goes to the Washington Center) by the year 2008, then staying inactive is downright foolish.

If y'all know that the Phoenix Inn will be picking up 50% of every tourist dollar that is spent by out-of-town attendees coming to trade shows, banquets and conventions (and will spend some of it on 7-8 maids and 2 maintenance jobs at about $7-$8 per hour, before the rest of it goes to Oregon headquarters to fund higher-paid administrators, executives and stockholders), then staying inactive is downright foolish.

If y'all know that road rage will be the outcome of having inadequate on-site and off-site parking for this huge amount of new traffic that will surely spill into our few existing parking spaces, then staying inactive is downright foolish.

Since my conclusion is that this proposed Conference Center will deplete, and not enrich, our environmentally-conscious community, then I have to conclude that staying inactive is downright foolish.

The following letter could be networked to your friends and acquaintances if you are not satisfied with the idea that staying inactive is your best possible reaction to the above facts about the latest absurd boondoggle that is about to be hatched by the city of Olympia:

Friends, As you may have heard, 200 people turned out for the June 10 public hearing on the conference/arts/retail center. The majority were in favor of voting on the issue and implored the City Council to put it on the fall (September primary) ballot.

But the majority of the Council (5 of 7) seem determined NOT to allow this since they sense they might lose. (Our signature gathering in council members' neighborhoods showed that around 79% of the public want to vote on it.)

We have around 3600 signatures to date and need 4200 by July 1 to qualify for a ballot initiative.

PLEASE, if you have any time this week, copy 2 or more petitions (download from our website www.nwn.com and take them around with you wherever you go and get some signatures.

Also, if everyone could contact the people in his/her email address book, we could branch out via a network web, sending this same message and petition electronically. We could get a lot done with much less effort this way. It's easy to forward this on; you only need the following:

- The addresses posted from your address book,

- Your signature at the bottom of the introductory messages (above and below) Please deliver all filled petitions to (Anne) Buck's Fifth Avenue, 209 5th Ave SE downtown by Monday, June 30. You may also send into the address on the petition.

For an overview of the central issues go to http://www.nwn.net

All our efforts depend on getting enough signatures since the matter is likely to go to court once the Council makes its expected decision.

Thank you.