I TOLD YOU SO!!!!

I hate to say it – but I was right.

Okay, so a few weeks ago I went off on one my rants on the show about how our wonderful county government was spending the hotel tax. Money that was supposed to go to support tourism is being funneled into projects that had nothing to do with tourism – like the Orlando Magic, and the new Performing Arts Center they want to build here. If memory serves me correctly, I said that without tourism dollars to generate the taxes (sales and occupancy) that the money would dry up and everything would suffer.

Well guess what. It has.

WFTV news here in Orlando ran a report last night outlining the massive spending cuts the city of Orlando has to make because there isn’t enough tourist revenue coming in.

They’ll be cutting fire services, school services, county services – but you know what isn’t going to get cut?? Guess…just take a WILD FREAKIN’ GUESS what singular project CAN’T be touched because of a ‘legal loophole’. You guessed it – THE ARENA FOR THE ORLANDO MAGIC!!! (CLICK HERE for the news video)

That’s right – it’s going to take the fire department longer to get to my house if (god forbid) it catches fire, it’s going to take the police longer to get to my house if (god forbid) I get burglarized and every school system in the area is going to lose tens of millions of dollars – but the UTTERLY USELESS Orlando Magic will have their precious arena. And before any of you “Magic Cheerleaders” start writing me with your nonsense about how important the Magic are to Orlando – just save it. Not even you can justify spending money on that arena in exchange for vital county services, let alone using the money for what it was originally intended for – TOURISM.

I love the part where Orange County “Mayor”, Rich Crotty, tells the reporter that projections on these projects were all based on improved tourism revenue. Yet, the money that was supposed to go to support that was diverted to completely unrelated projects. Is it brain damage? Dementia? Or are they just plain STUPID. I’m guessing it’s the latter.

Posted

January 15, 2009

Editorials

Pete Werner

Tags:

rich crotty moron buddy dyer moron

Comments

8 responses to “I TOLD YOU SO!!!!”

UrsulasShadow

January 15, 2009

Absolutely moronic, and most likely corrupt and on the dole from one special interest or another.

Politics in a nutshell.
tinkbutt

January 15, 2009

I am sorry to say I am not even shocked by this! this is what our world is coming to cutting down on the necessities to make room for the absurd!!!
wdwowner

January 15, 2009

Pete, in Illinois they did pretty much the same thing. When the Ill lottery was started it was setup so all monies would go to education. A few years later they changed the law to that money goes into the general fund. What a bunch of cow poo!!!

It sucks, and the only way it will change is to elect all new people. RichO
Froggy5657

January 15, 2009

Cutting School Money? What is WRONG WITH THESE PEOPLE! This is just plain idiotic! Wow.
grumpyfan

January 16, 2009

Nice to see they’ve got their priorities straight! NOT!!! What a bunch of morons!
robertgp124

January 16, 2009

West Virginia legalized video lottery to fund the PROMISE scholarship (all kids with a certain ACT score + GPA get free college tuition). Since video lottery (slots) generated more than needed to cover the PROMISE, state government got a cut to use elsewhere. As costs have gone up for the PROMISE, state government now wants to cut the PROMISE back…
Ericandpenny

January 19, 2009

It is always stupid to prop up a failing business i.e the Magic with taxpayer dollars. Dollars spent to draw more people to the area is very wise spending. Another stupid sports team making mega money and killing the local economy. Typical politics
disneyholic family

January 28, 2009

what mindy said about being on the take is probably right..

why isn’t the arena being built by private investors?

in detroit, the Palace of Auburn Hills, home of the detroit pistons, was built by the owner of the pistons, together with 2 other major investors…

it is a very very very very very profitable venture for the 3 of them…..not only do the pistons play there, numerous concerts and other major events are held there..
rest assured, davidson, sosnick and hermelin didn’t build the place as a non-profit venture…

there is no reason for an arena of this kind to be built using public financing..

I TOLD YOU SO!!!!

Comments

8 responses to “I TOLD YOU SO!!!!”

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