A column from today's Charlotte paper where the Convention and Visitors Bureau is under fire for all the lies and bad information they presented to be awarded and fund the NASCAR Hall of Fame:
Another smart idea: Build a Hall of Blame
By Mark Washburn mwashburn@charlotteobserver.com
Posted: Wednesday, Jun. 29, 2011
Before we activate the Time Machine, let's do a safety briefing. Some images may be disturbing. As they whiz by, they may not represent the situational reality we have come to accept. There is no need for concern. As we all know, a report from the prestigious PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP has firmly fixed the blame for NASCAR Hall of Fame attendance unpleasantness on the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority. "We understand from our discussions with CRVA representatives that earlier, more modest attendance projections were revised as the competition between Charlotte, Atlanta, and Daytona intensified for the Hall of Fame," said its report. So that's that. None of the rest of us are to blame. Just check the report. Now, turn off personal electronic devices as we gazoom back to the day Charlotte was named a finalist for the hall. Jan. 4, 2005: "It's the opportunity of a lifetime. ... This is very, very important for this region, and our goal should be to build on the momentum we have ... and accept nothing short of a world-class, winning proposal." - Cathy Bessant, Charlotte Chamber chair. Jan. 22, 2005: "Charlotte is a boisterous, fast-growing city; NASCAR is a boisterous, fast-growing sport. The two share a hard-driving spirit and an urge to get ahead quickly, even if it means a bump or two. ... The NASCAR Hall of Fame belongs here. Let's all unite to make it happen." - editorial, The Charlotte Observer. April 20, 2005: "Everybody's in support of the NASCAR Hall of Fame. ... It shouldn't go anywhere else." - Gov. Mike Easley. April 25, 2005: "Usually, when we try to do something, we make it happen." - House Speaker Jim Black of Matthews, on getting state money for the hall. April 25, 2005: "The engine indeed has started for what will indeed be a huge economic impact for Charlotte and for the region." - Charlotte Mayor Pro Tem Patrick Cannon, after the City Council endorses a hotel tax to help pay for the Hall. May 12, 2005: "We need to try hard to prove that we deserve it because we want it more. ... In Charlotte, it won't be a fad 10 years from now. It will be the crown jewel." - Luther Cochrane, chairman of the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority. March 6, 2006: "The key factor all along, for NASCAR and us, was sustainability. ... We're confident this is going to work." - Wachovia bank executive John Tate, who helped assemble the financing plan, after Charlotte is declared the winner. March 8, 2006: "Thank goodness Charlotte was awarded the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Now when they close our children's schools, they will have a place to go." - Some crackpot's comment in The Buzz. That concludes our excursion into the past. If you have any questions about what we saw today, please refer to the auditor's report firmly fixing the blame to the CRVA.
Looking back, nobody else wanted the silly thing anyway.
Mark Washburn: 704-358-5007; mwashburn@charlotteobserver.com Read more: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2011/06/29/2415161/another-smart-idea-build-a-hall.html#ixzz1QgWKn8a4
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"Any Day is Good for Stock Car Racing"
updated by @dave-fulton: 03/30/17 05:02:19PM
