Festival Cuts
Printed From: MiddletownUSA.com
Category: Middletown City Government
Forum Name: City Council
Forum Description: Discuss individual members and council as a legislative body.
URL: http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=4349
Printed Date: Nov 22 2024 at 2:36am
Topic: Festival Cuts
Posted By: 409
Subject: Festival Cuts
Date Posted: Jan 30 2012 at 9:50pm
From the MJ:Cities cut giving taxpayer money to festivalshttp://www.middletownjournal.com/news/middletown-news/cities-cut-giving-taxpayer-money-to-festivals-1320992.html - http://www.middletownjournal.com/news/middletown-news/cities-cut-giving-taxpayer-money-to-festivals-1320992.html Excerpts:
City contributions to festivals across Butler and Warren counties have been dramatically slashed since 2009. In some cases, such as Middletown’s Middfest, city contributions have dropped to zero.
“It’s a matter of necessity and priority,” said Middletown Mayor Larry Mulligan. “I would love to fund these festivals because they do enhance the quality of life, but we have to focus on other things like a solid infrastructure and economic development on a limited budget.” Mulligan said he can understand how festivals can be seen as an economic development tool but doesn’t believe they necessarily make the return on investment necessary to keep funding them. “In terms of long term economic development and growing jobs, I don’t know that it’s there,” Mulligan said. “I think they are primarily a quality of life item.” |
Replies:
Posted By: Mike_Presta
Date Posted: Jan 31 2012 at 5:32am
|
Excerpts:
But in
MidFest’s case, have they really dropped to zero??? Or have the taxpayers
continued to provide things such as police coverage (including overtime),
utilities, and event set-up???
Here’s
a thought: FUNDRAISING EVENTS!!! Just as with the Historic Society and other
groups around town, why do you think that there is no other source of funding
other than the TAXPAYERS??? If you
really think that yours is such a worthy cause, go out and do some FUNDRAISING!!! Sure…dipping into the public trough is easier…but
it is NOT the ONLY way. Witness the
Waynesville Sauerkraut Festival (arguably the most successful festival in the
area), which, according to The Journal article: “The Sauerkraut
festival, which fills the streets of Waynesville during a two-day weekend every
October does not receive any financial support from the village of Waynesville
and pays for police overtime and electric use, said Chamber head Dawn
Schroeder.” Charge
a fee for booth space. Get corporate
sponsors. Have fundraisers during the
rest of the year. Heck, raffle off hams,
food baskets, gift certificates to local supermarkets and restaurants. Hire the
Knights of Columbus to run a blackjack tent.
If you really think that this event is worthwhile, find a way to make it
pay its own way!!!
On
one hand, it would be easy to say that Mulligan, a bank vice president, doesn’t
understand the term “return on investment” (ROI), given the lousy ROI we have
realized on the “investments” that have been made with Middletonians’ money
under his watch. But on the other hand,
he certainly seems to understand the personal “return” he and his friends may
realize on the “investment” of Middletown’s taxpayers’ “investments”, and they
are too numerous to mention. (They
include the “period” fake gas lamppost lighting. Can anyone document the “period” when there
were gas street lampposts on South Main Street—or any other street in
Middletown for that matter??? I have
researched over a thousand photographs of early Middletown and have found a
picture of only ONE single gas street lamppost, in front of the original Oglesby-Barnitz Bank building, and that gas light appeared to be PRIVATELY—not publicly--
owned and operated!!! It’s too bad that our
history-loving citizens couldn’t learn a lesson from that history and provide their OWN
fake gas lights in front of their properties, instead of mooching electricity
off the taxpayers.) ------------- “Mulligan said he ... doesn’t believe they necessarily make the return on investment necessary to keep funding them.” …The Middletown Journal, January 30, 2012 |
Posted By: VietVet
Date Posted: Jan 31 2012 at 6:40am
|
“It’s a matter of necessity and priority,” said Middletown Mayor Larry Mulligan
YEAH, AND LAWRENCE'S PRIORITY IS TO KEEP PLOWING MONEY INTO THE S. MAIN ST. AREA TO PROTECT HIS NEIGHBORHOOD VALUES AS THE REST OF THE TOWN CRUMBLES, NOT SOME INSIGNIFICANT FESTIVAL OR SOCIAL EVENT NOT SANCTIONED BY HIS BUDS IN THE MMF CLUB. MORE LAWRENCE ....... "but we have to focus on other things like a solid infrastructure and economic development on a limited budget" WHY START FOCUSING ON INFRASTRUCTURE NOW? HASN'T BEEN IMPORTANT FOR THIS COUNCIL NOR PAST COUNCILS. DOUBT IF IT WILL BE IMPORTANT AFTER THE SEWERS COLLAPSE AND THE STREETS TURN TO GRAVEL. OH, YOU MEAN THE EFFORT OF FOCUS ON THE ROADS AND INFRASTRUCTURE SINCE 1986 WHEN YOU STRIPPED THE FUNDING FROM THE ROADS AND HAVEN'T RE-DIRECTED THE MONEY BACK TO THIS FUND..... AND THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FOCUS THAT HAS LOST WAY MORE JOBS THAN IT HAS CREATED SINCE THE 80'S, RIGHT LAR BABES? Mulligan said he can understand how festivals can be seen as an economic development tool but doesn’t believe they necessarily make the return on investment necessary to keep funding them OLE' LARRY, ALWAYS LOOKING FOR THAT RETURN ON INVESTMENT......KINDA LIKE THE $450,000 OF TAXPAYER MONEY SPENT ON THE FOUR SPECULATION BUILDINGS IN THE HOPE THAT CINN. STATE COULD USE ALL OF THEM. THE $75,000 TO MMF FOR THE SORG OPERA HOUSE FIASCO, PAC WITH THE $200,000+ GIVEN TO VERDIN TO START THE DAM THING, THE MANCHESTER, WHICH WAS ORIGINALLY SLATED AS A CINN. STATE CULINARY SCHOOL, THE SWALLENS BUILDING, ORGINALLY SLATED FOR SENIOR CITIZEN LIVING/ACTIVITIES THAT ENDED UP A BUST AND WAS DEMOLISHED. HOW MUCH MONEY HAS BEEN WASTED DOWN AT THE AK PAVILLION THAT SITS IDLE MOST OF THE TIME?....AND ON AND ON IT GOES. GOT PLENTY OF MONEY FOR THE CRAP LISTED ABOVE, BUT NOT FOR THE MASSES. EVEN MORE LARRY..... “In terms of long term economic development and growing jobs, I don’t know that it’s there,” Mulligan said. “I think they are primarily a quality of life item.” ECON DEV/JOB GROWTH....HASN'T BEEN ON YOUR RADAR FOR DECADES. QUALITY OF LIFE?....FOR THE SELECTED FEW IN THIS TOWN. MOST RESIDENTS HAVE SEEN REDUCTIONS IN THEIR QUALITY OF LIFE, PARTLY BECAUSE OF THE DECISIONS AND DIRECTION YOU AND OTHERS HAVE TAKEN IN OPERATING THE CITY. GIMME A BREAK MULLIGAN. CUT THE CRAP. YOU WOULD HAVE MORE CREDIBILITY OF YOU JUST SAID NOTHING. |
Posted By: Vivian Moon
Date Posted: Jan 31 2012 at 12:56pm
|
The last time I went to MiddFest it was poorly attended, the buildings were cover in bird poop and the smell of the sewers downtown were ripe. Vendors complained that they were being overcharged for space and could not make any money. |
Posted By: ground swat
Date Posted: Jan 31 2012 at 7:32pm
| Stop the drug money! It's hard to get off the crack ( Taxpayer money). |
Posted By: Pacman
Date Posted: Jan 31 2012 at 8:45pm
|
Vivian, You are right on with your post. I have been through Middletown mor ethan a few times and I would be embarrased to bring another country to what they call the downtown area. One of the things good aboutn being blind now is that I can ride through not see any of it.  Pacman  |