The ever controversial Chad Nesbitt released a statement to the media today voicing objection to the Citizen- Times’ statement in a recent article that some of the voting public feels the tourism industry is not sharing the wealth enough. Mr. Nesbitt, who is running for the chair position on the Buncombe County board of commissioners, offered evidence that projects directly benefitting the public have been directly supported by the Tourism Development Fund. The fund is supported by the 6 percent hotel tax.
Press release from Chad Nesbitt’s campaign for Chairman of the Buncombe County Commissioners:
Nesbitt responds to Asheville Citizen-Times article about Asheville City Council’s approval of a new 7-story South Asheville hotel and the extortion tactics employed by certain council members.
Gordon Smith, Brownie Newman and their minions in the liberal mafia known as Asheville socialist democratic politics are trying to extort businesses and entrepreneurs during the approval process in front of Asheville City Council.
As Chairman of the Buncombe County Commission, I pledge to follow the rule of law as opposed to the whims of liberal, socialist pseudo-politicians.
As Chairman of the Buncombe County Commission, I pledge to follow the rule of law as opposed to the whims of liberal, socialist pseudo-politicians.
According to the Asheville Citizen-Times, “Several hotels being built downtown became the target of voters last year who felt the thriving tourism industry wasn’t sharing benefits with locals.”
So the Socialist Democrats on city council decided to bully business owners. When you look at the facts, though, it tells a totally different picture.
The hotel tax of 6 percent is an industry-initiated tax to support marketing the destination and funding infrastructure to bolster Asheville and the region’s tourism standing. This is in addition to the 7 percent state sales tax which is a revenue source for the city. Roughly 75 percent of the money raised by the hotel tax goes to marketing and 25 percent goes to the Tourism Development Fund. Since its inception in 2001, over $16 million of the $23 million fund – 70 percent – has gone to projects directly benefitting the City of Asheville and it’s residents. The list is numerous and high profile and can be found at http://www.ashevillecvb.com/projects-funded/?_ga=1.184866798.635918274.1453752141
Highlights include the soccer complex, US Cellular Center, Pack Square Pavilion, Asheville Art Museum to name a few.
So this begs the question: When is enough enough?!?
Apparently to those like Gordon Smith, Brownie Newman and avowed socialist and community activist Timothy Sadler, enough is when they say it is.
As chairman, I promise to stop the bullying of businesses with un-necessary and un-lawful tactics you’d see only in China or Russia. This is America. And although from downtown Asheville, you might not be able to recognize liberty and freedom to do business, in Buncombe County we will.
one of these days, the city dwellers are going to have enough of the oppressive socialist regime running this nasty town…
Hard to respect a man who can’t even finish painting his own house. It’s a simple task that shouldn’t take years. Like Sara Palin, he quits a job half way through. If you can’t finish painting your house, how are you going to run a government?
Has MtEx taken a stand against the sell ouf of Mission Hospital? Or do I need to write the article. James
The proposed sale of Mission Hospital is an abomination. The Board of Trustees has abrogated its responsibility. They do not own the hospital and I do not have a right to sell it. They hold it in trust for the citizens of western North Carolina.
There is a long tradition of publicly owned hospitals in North Carolina. There are virtually no private general hospital bed in the state. Rather they are community owned or University hospitals.
The only person who stands to profit from this is Ron Paulus. He argues Mission is financially untenable. He claims that because of economics of scale Mission will be able to purchase supplies at lower cost if it becomes a part of HCA Inc. He does not mention that this Corporation has a terrible reputation. The lure to the public is the promise that HCA we’ll pay more than $7 million and real estate tax to city and county. However, no one has explained where this large sum of money is coming from if mission is only breaking even at the present time. I suppose it will be done with smoke and mirrors, with higher fees for service and lower quality of care. A far better plan to achieve economics scale would be to propose that UNC hospitals take over the administration of Mission and leave it as a not-for-profit. UNC already assumed that responsibility with the Charlotte system. One of the reasons the Financial crunch is the failure of the state legislature to increase Medicaid. Another is the failure of BC/BS to increase reimbursement rates. I am optimistic that after the elections in 2018 that Congress will begin to phase in Medicare for everyone. When there are no uninsured people in North Carolina , Mission will be able to operate in the black..
Fellow citizens, Mission is easy to criticize but just wait until it is owned by a for profit. Then you will have something to complain about.
James, by many accounts, it seems that you’ve been proven quite prescient regarding the hospital sale. As for Nesbitt’s claims, I’d like to know how many dollars from BCTDA have helped bolster our infrastructure and/or fixed pot-holey roads.