More on Loudoun County Dissing Redskins

As I predicted, this is turning into a disaster for the five Democratic Supervisors who voted to block the Redskins Hall of Fame in Loudoun County. Check out this youtube that popped up.

Comments

[red dem]

It is hard to believe that these people get elected. I guess the good ones don't have the time to run.

[Grapes]

Annoy a liberal.

Boycott androgynous Rachel Maddow because she is a woman who tries to look like a man.

Annoy a liberal.

[t]

Good for the supervisors.

Have the rich owner pony up the funds, not the taxpayers!

[red dem]

t,

short-sited approach. redskins HOF would bring in people, and people spend money in local businesses. such tourist attractions are always good for the local community when properly implemented.

[John]

This issue reflects the classic political conundrum – on a policy level, the supervisors (and t) are right. Why should a cash-strapped county pony up money when it’s the second-richest American pro sports franchise asking? But on a political level, the supervisors (and t) don’t get it. Redskins football is a way of life for the D.C. area. I was bitten by the bug when I was 10 years old and I haven’t ever been able to get over it. These five supervisors are probably the only five people in the entire county who don’t watch the Redskins each week. The one lady didn’t even know who Frank Herzog is – yet tried to use him as a prop. That’s almost as bad as the 2004 presidential campaign when John Kerry tried to be an “average guy” by claiming that he was a huge Red Sox fan – but when asked who his favorite player was, he lamely replied “Manny Ortez” – badly confusing Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz. These five supervisors will get voted out (hopefully in a primary and not the general) because they have tunnel vision.

[Loudoun Insider]

t and John, I would absolutely agree with you about the tax dollars issue if this were general funds we're talking about here. This was to be funded with dedicated TOT funds (hotel tax) that are mandated by state law to be psent on tourism initiatives. This is wasn't a give away to Dan Snyder as some are trying to portray it, it was a business deal for significant advertising services for Loudoun County through the Redskins. It was a great deal that passed out of committee 4-0 (including a yes votes by several of the eventual no votes) but got caught up in a ridiculous power play. This was a HUGE political blunder that I tried to warn them about.

[John]

Loudoun Insider,

I didn't know that - thanks for clarifying. That makes their vote even more stupefying. I have no doubt that a Reskins HOF would increase tourism to an area (perhaps significantly). This is one of those times when I hate being a Democrat - when we come off as elitist, sports tone-deaf, or anti-military. Most of us are far from any of those things.

[t]

Thanks for the clarification LI.

I was not aware of that, and you make a good point.

[Bwana]

Apparently the Loudoun supervisors want to get in the person in NJ who convinced Ben to pay $25 for a grilled cheese and bacon sandwich. Now THAT is a person who knows how to milk tourism!

[Doug in Mount Vernon]

Ummm, FYI....Burton is not a Democrat--he's an independent and former Republican.

He votes with Democrats sometimes, but as I know Jim, he does not describe himself as a Democrat unless something's changed in the last three years.

[Doug in Mount Vernon]

A disaster? Maybe in the minds of electorally desperate Republicans!

Democratic Supervisors are once again proving that we are the only political party interested in fiscal responsibility and restraint.

Especially in tough economic times, I applaud these Supervisors for sticking to these principles instead of shamefully trying to score some cheap political points.

Good work!

And FYI, Jim Burton is not a Democrat and although sometimes votes with them (and always votes with the interests of Loudoun as he sees them), he would probably not warm to being labeled one--unless of course something's changed in the last few years.

[Doug in Mount Vernon]

One more thing--you gotta love poorly produced political-pot-shot YouTubes that take people's comments totally out of context, which obviously Supervisor Kurtz's were...

[Loudoun Insider]

Doug, go watch the whole thing on the county webcast and you'll see none of this was out of context. And definitely compare the treatment they gave the Redskins versus their succesful 5-4 effort to give $156,000 to the Journey Through Hallowed Ground for "hospitality training". That boondoggle sailed right on through even though Loudoun County is pitching in a full 2/3 of matching funds for the entire three state Journey region. There was a massive double standard on display that day that has pissed off a large many Democrats as well. Vice Chairman Susan Buckley (D) was on the losing side of both votes and is the only Dem on this board with political common sense.

Cool dude! Sex, drugs and alcohol right here in the HoF. Will that hot babe from the BoS be there? Seriously, the hayseeds in Louden are well represented on the BoS.

[Brandon]

I'm glad that the supervisors didn't support this. It's a waste of taxpayers money to idolize a sports team. If it is in demand, the public will finance it.

[BlackOut]

Doug, check in with your Loudoun peeps, you're missing major details on this story. This was a royal f-up.

LI accurately points out these were Transient Occupancy Tax funds, money from taxed hotel stays. Statute mandates the money be used on tourism, nothing else.

The denied motion was to use TOT funds in the amount of 100K for the first phase of a Redskin's partnership. No general funds were to be used. This money wasn't coming out of anyone's pocket.

Additionally this deal has been worked on for over six months by the Redskins, County staff, the Economic Development Committee (Burk, Waters, York, and Buckley) and the CEO Cabinet a working group of the Loudoun Economic Development Commission. Numerous volunteer hours went into the presentation and 10 page marketing plan to support the 100K. The plan came out of the committee with a 4-0 vote, to include Burk a democrat with an affirmative vote. For some unknown reason Burk flopped when it got to the committee of the whole. That's probably why she appears speechless in the youtube clip.

The COO and Dir of PR for the Redskins personally made public appeals for the deal at public comment session, night before the vote. That's the number two and number three representatives of the Skins. Snyder being number one.

The Skins were told they had the votes, showed up the next day to answer questions, and then got mugged for an hour at the meeting. The youtube clip doesn't even give enough exposure to the debacle. You need to see it to believe it.

This is a nightmare for Loudoun. The five dissenting votes publicly embarrassed a major county business, and in doing so completely alienated the EDC's CEO Cabinet.

Word has it the Dems may be trying to work something out to save this opportunity and to save their credibility. We'll see. Hopefully they get it done before their first anniversary on the job.

[A Dem that is disappointed]

These votes and comments are an embarrassment to Loudoun County. And I not only voted for these people, I worked hard to get them elected. It's like they left their brains at the door to the meeting room. Their words here are incredibly unprofessional, their actions very anti - business, and the emotional IQ of this group seems to be dropping right in front of my eyes. And Loudoun County needs it's commercial taxes - badly.
Add to all this, their smugness and arrogance about it. This was overwhelmingly supported by the Loudoun EOC. I don't know what these people were thinking. Susan Buckley is the one Dem who got it right.

Our Leesburg Today just printed a very critical editorial about how the Board handled it. And they are usually very fair and even handed. Many people here are talking about it and are very dismayed with this group.

Hopefully this will be reconsidered and handled with some class.