In some unbelievable way, he tries to say that Tourism is a "shovel ready" Industry. While I must in fairness say that Tourism has some value, it is hardly the panacea that he attempts to paint it.; at least to me?
It is difficult to get all excited about a bunch of minimum wage or just above them jobs with few if any benefits. It is again a tax dollar collector and for him of course a lucrative job with a lot of good benefits I would suspect?
The GPCVB is it is serious about advancing this fine little corner of the World, it would be more in for businesses that pay family wages and provide reasonable benefits.
It is easy to agree on changing the stereotypes that many people have accepted as their role in life. It is not, it is a cop out to ignore what they need to do to advance their areas. It is something that I believe in whole heartedly to improve people's lives.
He noted that "Tourism advertising creates a Halo Effect. It improves the image of West Virginia as place to live, a place to go to College, or a place to retire. And perhaps most importantly, it can help promote West Virginia as a destination to start a business or a company looking for a location for an expansion or additional facility?"
West Virginia already seems to have acquired a reputation as one of the best Party College Schools in the Country. What does he think a brochure has to offer that will be better than what is put out by the School or the Frats in it?
As for retiring, old people many times do not have the exulted incomes that some think? They are struggling with trying to get a Doctor, pay the ever increasing Health Premiums, Deductible and Co-pays. Why would folks come here when almost a third (1/3), of the people are on Medicaid? We have an unbelievably advertised drug problem that the National Media is putting out for us?
It sure smells like a bunch of B.S. There are companies that do nothing but research location for a business to start up or expand. Companies pay them big bucks for this service. It is very similar to a Head Hunter shop that goes out and finds people for businesses to hire.
To me, the Mission of the GPCVB is the getting the folks through here to do some looking around (fine), spend their bucks in the fast food/ sit down restaurants and then get the Hell out of here.
As long as West Virginia has this we don't want change mentality at the top, it is not going to change- period. It will require breaking the mental backs of the elitist Republicrats and Democans that rule the hen house we call home. Here in Vienna, all we see are places to spend dollars that generate tax dollars. Vienna has probably lost another 50- 90 people in the 2016 Census update? It did not cover the Cities, only that Wood County had lost about another 900 people. Doesn't take much to suspect Vienna took another loss also. The decades don't lie.
I have people ask me what it takes to get some of the beat up, broken houses either repaired to torn down. This was a huge deal in the façade submitted to get Home Rule. Yet two years later I would suspect that there is still a bunch of those twelve (12) home that were going on the chopping block once Home Rule was approved?
As I have noted, when the City goes after that 50 acres in front of Johns Manville, some will make millions. Most of us will get the infamous double middle digits again.
I am all in for change and prosperity, but what is going on is a bit short? 'nuff said'.