The latest gimmick from the 81601 tourism marketing vendor: Glenwood Springs Chamber Resort Association, previously met with such scathing negative reviews all over the region in commentary; SandBox Nanny almost took pity on the concept by not tossing up the launch to the kids today.
Here's what changed her mind:
First, the population of 81601 was 'sold' on using the current marketing plan through the use of a lot of 'Big Talk'.
And the simultaneous oxymoron 'reality' of not having a public vote. Just like so many things in Glenwood Springs such as medical marijuana, 'back-in' parking, The Ghettos 'improvements' and continued development, Midland Avenue, public art, 200 large+ spent on the concept of 7th Street's 'Sea World', the debacle of how poorly the construction is on the Community Center, traffic calming on Grand, the 'political statement' of the city's comprehensive plan, capital improvement projects using tens of millions of dollars of borrowed 'good deal' money in the middle of the
first worst recesssion in history and the ongoing issues of major public relations problems; the folks really don't have any say at all in how they are led or how their tax dollars are spent. Not really. Not in Glenwood Springs.
The conclusion of her first point? 'Big talk' is not only paid 'Big Money' to perform; as a vendor trying to play in the same 'Big Leagues' as all the thriving tourism promoters surrounding 81601; the logical assumption is that they are "Big Kids" who should not be sheltered from the review of the general population they serve.
Nanny's second point, is that there are no city screened checks and balances on tourism marketing performance in Glenwood Springs.
We have no media that is not 'owned',
we have a fledgling city council that is just finding its sea-legs in standing up to the rigors of performing sworn duty,
we have a partially strong citizens tourism board that is heavily seeded with special interests,
we hold the now three year rank of the lowest in the region when it comes to tourism and sales revenues (and)
we can go nowhere in prosperity until we clear a minimum 60% deficit in our tourism performance.
Simplistically, her point sums up to:
Where, exactly, are the folks supposed to go in order to speak up freely if she doesn't toss this up out of her sincere feelings of pity on the cartoon concept of 'Glen Wood'?
As one more of her long-standing in the community business friends, recently decided they had no choice but to close their doors due to inability to withstand the continued 'year' of reckoning' here in Glenwood Springs...SandBox Nanny thinks it's best, now that the ink is nearly dry on the 'Big Deal', to let 'Big Kids' finally begin to first-time ever face the shock of being treated just like the rest of the business community.
A word of caution to commentators:
There is so much fodder in the truth here on this article, you have no reason whatsoever to get overly personal at any one individual. You are being moderated closely on this one. Stick to public information and public viewpoints only.
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"Truth goes through three stages. First it is ridiculed. Then it is violently opposed. Finally, it is accepted as self-evident."