Last Chance for Tour of Missouri

[nns1400]

Well, it's happening again... our esteemed governor is refusing to allow any tourism money to go to the Tour due to some political grudges or whatever. Of course it makes perfect sense to STOP having a wildly popular, successful, world class, state-wide event that draws tourism and revenue and promotes healthy living and green transportation. Perfect sense!

Anyway, the state legislature is deciding what to do this week... it's the eleventh hour, so if anyone is from the region and is interested in putting any pressure on, here is a link: (or if you're not from the region but could maybe convince them you would COME to the region for this race )

http://mobikefed.org/content/tour-missouri-call-missouri-senators

For the facebookers out there:

Welcome to Facebook | Facebook

Thx!

 

[nns1400]

Looks like they won't be voting until Tuesday. Apparently one senator has said they'd like to keep it but are trying to be "fair to everyone." But it's not really about fairness, IMO. I mean, why would you cut something that will stimulate the economy, and generate revenue, and benefit the state? Would seem to be a common sense decision. And it's half a percent of the proposed cuts.

Oh well. Just gets frustrating when they seem to have no issues with using tax money to fund frigging stadiums, for millionaire sports team owners, stadiums that most people don't go to, so the teams can provide more luxury boxes that the taxpayers are never going to sit in. But a free event, well that's no good. Not to mention they just built ANOTHER casino here... after all the promises of all those casino taxes saving state budgets. Yeah, right. Boo.

 

[nns1400]

Well, the Senate and House kept the money in the budget. There was a lot of grass roots pressure with emails and phone calls... and a small group went down to the Capitol to talk with them as well.

The Governor does have line-item veto power, so it still remains to be seen if he will cut it himself. He did freeze it last year but eventually relented. No one really seems to know what he is going to do. But that's the latest, presuming anyone cares.

I think it's really important to have this race so Cavendish can show Greipel how he wins big, important races...

A local article:
Tour of Missouri bike race is economic boon for state | News-Leader.com | Springfield News-Leader

 

[nns1400]

The saga continues...

Since the tourism commission will STILL not commit to funding the Tour, Medalist Sports will pull out of the race (which will be the end of it) if they don't get a firm commitment from the state by May 7. Which is fair, IMO, I mean, who can plan an event without knowing if it's actually going to happen? This is SO frustrating.

Tour of Missouri in doubt, despite funding approval | 10 Speed | STLtoday

 

[nns1400]

“I’m trying to find out whether there’s discretion or not over that,” said Marci Bennett, chair of the tourism commission. She hinted that if the commission has discretion, they could move the money elsehwere. She noted that the commission voted in November to cease funding the race. “We determined that if we’re having these draconian cuts for the state, it does not seem reasonable to put that percentage into one event.”

This is ridiculous. One event? This "one" event has six stages that cover one end of the state to the other, with start and finish sites for each stage plus numerous towns in between, drawing tourists from OUTSIDE the state (which is presumably the job of the tourism commission). There is no other "one" event that encompasses so much. But I guess it's not as important as a livestock auction and truck pull in friggin' Bumpkinville, MO. Or godawful Branson.

OR a bunch of billboards that say Show Me Missouri...oops, there's nothing going on to SHOW.

 

[steve]

The saga continues...

Since the tourism commission will STILL not commit to funding the Tour, Medalist Sports will pull out of the race (which will be the end of it) if they don't get a firm commitment from the state by May 7. Which is fair, IMO, I mean, who can plan an event without knowing if it's actually going to happen? This is SO frustrating.

Tour of Missouri in doubt, despite funding approval | 10 Speed | STLtoday

Some of the comments on that news story are quite amusing. It sounds like your rednecks have a lot in common with our bogans
View attachment 11973

 

[nns1400]

Some of the comments on that news story are quite amusing. It sounds like your rednecks have a lot in common with our bogans
View attachment 11973

Yes, as you can see, the teaching of economics was cut from the budget years ago.

I was educated about bogans on this very forum... they have their own thread here, don't they? The TAN or something like that? j/k

In other redneck news, a guy running for Governor of Alabama says they speak English in Alabama and if you want to live there, you'd better learn it. I didn't know they called that English, but if you want to learn it the Alabama way, you can start by watching Larry the Cable Guy.

 

[nns1400]

Sadly... the current situation looks bad. The tourism commission is apparently refusing to spend the allocated funds on the Tour. I can't wait to see what wonders this money will be going to instead.

Through a series of dialogues between the event and both Tourism and officials from the Governor's office, we were asked to supply documentation on Return on Investment and the benefits Tourism would receive for its support. The ROI came in at more than 30 to 1 on behalf of the state, while the benefits were congruent with the magnitude that a presenting sponsor of a world-class international sporting event would receive, including a mix of branding, brand integration/activation, media, hospitality, and advertising. We have streamlined the event to demonstrate fiscal responsibility, taking into consideration that the funding from the state went from $1.5MM to $1MM for this year.


The event's new chairman Mike Weiss recently received both calls and emails from both Tourism and officials at the Governor's office, stating the $1MM were "discretionary" and they would opt not to use them for the Tour of Missouri.


While we have answered all their questions, provided conclusive data to proceed and state legislatures have spoken, the entities needed to release the funds have blocked the funding allocation. This allocation is necessary to fund this event at a world-class level.

Article with email links:
Tour of Missouri 2010

 

[nns1400]

So, the battle continues to rage, on paper at least... according to documents posted on tourofmissouri.com the money for the Tour was a specific appropriation and not discretionary, but apparently the Tourism Commission doesn't really care. They did however see fit to give a million dollars to promote the All Star Game in StL last summer, because of course, MLB doesn't have any money to promote itself. But a cycling event that brings to tourists in to destinations all over the state should be self-supporting.

The commission chair says spending this money will prevent them from marketing the state. Lots of logic there.

newspressnow.com | Tour of Missouri in jeopardy

 

[nns1400]

I'm still trying to figure out this tourism marketing plan...

Come Visit Missouri where we are NOT having an international sporting event!! Bring the whole family! See Nothing!

Ah, the good old Show Me State...

 

[nns1400]

The Tourism Director will be on a call-in radio show in Kansas City tomorrow. They will be discussing the ToM, but have no pro-ToM guests. The Missouri Bike Federation is asking people to call in... so if anyone is from KC...

http://mobikefed.org/node/3952

 

[nns1400]

I especially like the Governor's nerdy little laugh...

KY3 Political Notebook: FLASHBACK: Candidate Nixon Ribs Tour

 

[nns1400]

The Tourism Director will be on a call-in radio show in Kansas City tomorrow. They will be discussing the ToM, but have no pro-ToM guests. The Missouri Bike Federation is asking people to call in... so if anyone is from KC...

http://mobikefed.org/node/3952

Just gleaning some comments from Facebook from people who heard the radio show (I just copied them, I am not correcting the spelling, etc):

Quote from the interview... "No obligation to spend the funds and no plans to do so"
****

She claimed the ROI numbers are inaccuarate but, in the same string of comments admits she doesn't know the accurate numbers because they haven't looked into it. Later she sites a meeting in Jeff City where she asks a group of people how many had attended a stage of the race then asks the people who had attended how many had spent a dollar while attending. Because no one responded in the affirmative to part 2 of the question she assumes there is little or no ROI?
***

The state did not profit from its prior investments in the TOM... based on figures that the state does not have... and since there are no figures available from the state then those given by the Tour itself are therefore not correct. I'm no lawyer or reporter but even I could have cut through that argument.
***

So, yes, Missourah is run by idiots...

 

[nns1400]

Petition to save the tour

2010 Tour of Missouri - Petition Spot

 

[nns1400]

This is an actual quote from the Governor of Missouri... yes, we are very progressive in Missouri:

“I think … it’s something that comes and goes. The real things that turn dollars in tourism are things that stay. We’re excited about the 175th anniversary of Mark Twain, the 150th anniversary of the Pony Express, the 50th anniversary of Silver Dollar City. Those are things that are going to be there, not just passing by at 29 mph and being there 24 seconds.”

I'm not sure about his thinking on "things that stay." Last time I checked, the Pony Express was a bit obsolete. But I'm sure there will be a lot of Pony Express fans pouring into Missouri this year for the big anniversary.

There's also been some talk about the lasting investment of... and I kid you not... the largest rocking chair in the world or country or planet or whatever. Right next to the world's largest ball of twine I suppose...

 

[slovakguy]

what? missouri has the largest ball of twine? party on, missouri!

 

[Doc R]

Thanks for all the updates, n (may I call you n?). We were one of those families that made the trek to KC last year to watch the final stage. My kids hung out in the Crown Center lobby and got to talk to (not just get autographs from) Zabriskie, Cav, Jens Voight, Christian VDV and a host of others.

In fact that race encouraged my 15 year-old son to get into bike racing this year, and he's had a blast. Plus, we spent WAY more than a dollar.

This thing has been nothing but a political football from day 1, and that absolutely sucks. In my opinion even if something dramatic like the Lt. Gov stepping in again happens, they've still scared off a lot of big teams and names with all the farting around. I was actually walking into the Crown Center last year and the Lt. Gov (Kendall?) was walking out, and we had a quick chat about all the support that the race actually received last year. At the end of that, though, he said that it'd be a tough fight to bring it back next year.

BTW, we stood in the crowd at the start/finish line and people there ALL knew Cavendish. That's maybe not surprising, but they also all knew Voight and Thor and Zabriskie. There are real cycling fans in the Midwest, and IMO Missouri is one of the best states terrain-wise to have an event like this. The leaders are idiots, plain and simple.

 

[nns1400]

what? missouri has the largest ball of twine? party on, missouri!

No, just the largest rocking chair! Also claimed by Texas and Mississippi, so obviously there is some sort of rocking chair scam afoot. According to Weird Al, Minnesota has the largest ball of twine, and according to Clark Griswold, the second largest ball of twine is in Kansas, "just four short hours from here!"

 

[nns1400]

There are real cycling fans in the Midwest, and IMO Missouri is one of the best states terrain-wise to have an event like this. The leaders are idiots, plain and simple.

Yes indeed! And due to Mr Landis's timely announcement, I think it's going to be slightly more impossible to change the idiot Governor's mind than it was yesterday.

 

[nns1400]

Latest update. Not that this as interesting as the big scandals of the day!

http://mobikefed.org/content/tour-m...ixons-spokesman-lying-confused-incompetent-or

People are still trying so hard to convince the Governor of the value and importance of the event, but I don't think it matters. You can't argue with dysfunction. The office just keeps lying. He doesn't CARE about the value or lack of value or anything else. He's just being a stubborn jerk for personal reasons. Reasoning with him isn't going to make any difference.

But some people who have even supported him and donated to him in the past are so angry about this he may be in some trouble at election time. Won't save the Tour though.