A Tale of Two Hotels And $20 million of Taxpayers’ Money
Sometimes, something so peculiar happens in politics you just have to stop and ask yourself, “What was that?” Well, something like that has happened in Raleigh.
The Marriott Hotels want a subsidy from taxpayers – $20 million – to build a hotel downtown. At the same time a group of businessmen propose to build a Westin hotel –Raleigh’s first Four-Star Hotel – at Crabtree Valley. The Westin won’t cost taxpayers a penny. In fact, it will pay the city $1.5 million in taxes and create 150 jobs.
You might ask, ‘Do we need both? If businessmen will build a new Westin with their own money is it necessary for taxpayers to spend $20 million to build a Marriott too?’ Or you might ask, ‘Why do we have to subsidize a Marriott at all? If businessmen can build a Westin without a subsidy – why can’t the Marriott?’
Taxpayers subsidizing a hotel is odd. Here’s what’s odder.
Mayor Meeker also says Raleigh needs more money to build roads – the City says it needs $374 million – and if I read the signs right he may be floating a trial balloon about raising taxes or fees or both. There’s no doubt Raleigh needs roads. So, why not just build the Four-Star Westin Hotel at Crabtree Valley and use the $20 million for the hotel downtown to build roads?
For that matter, which is more important, building roads or building a $192 million Convention Center? That $192 million would have paid for half the roads the City needs.
If it sounds like someone has their spending priorities backwards – well, maybe they do.
I would imagine – and this is just a guess – the City Council will be happy to approve building the Westin; there’s not much to be said against a hotel that will pay $1.5 million in taxes a year, create 150 new jobs and which the Dean of the NC State School of Design says is an architectural wonder. And in addition, it’s supported by neighborhood activists.
But here’s a suggestion for the Republicans on the City Council – and Democrats too if they don’t mind an idea offered by a Republican. If the Marriotts (or Paris Hilton either for that matter) want to build a hotel in downtown Raleigh tell them, ‘That’s wonderful.’ But if they ask for a subsidy from taxpayers tell then no.
Taxpayers shouldn’t have to pay for all – or part – of their hotel. In other words, vote yes to the hotel and no to the subsidy.
A Tale of Two Hotels And $20 million of Taxpayers’ Money
Sometimes, something so peculiar happens in politics you just have to stop and ask yourself, “What was that?” Well, something like that has happened in Raleigh.
The Marriott Hotels want a subsidy from taxpayers – $20 million – to build a hotel downtown. At the same time a group of businessmen propose to build a Westin hotel –Raleigh’s first Four-Star Hotel – at Crabtree Valley. The Westin won’t cost taxpayers a penny. In fact, it will pay the city $1.5 million in taxes and create 150 jobs.
You might ask, ‘Do we need both? If businessmen will build a new Westin with their own money is it necessary for taxpayers to spend $20 million to build a Marriott too?’ Or you might ask, ‘Why do we have to subsidize a Marriott at all? If businessmen can build a Westin without a subsidy – why can’t the Marriott?’
Taxpayers subsidizing a hotel is odd. Here’s what’s odder.
Mayor Meeker also says Raleigh needs more money to build roads – the City says it needs $374 million – and if I read the signs right he may be floating a trial balloon about raising taxes or fees or both. There’s no doubt Raleigh needs roads. So, why not just build the Four-Star Westin Hotel at Crabtree Valley and use the $20 million for the hotel downtown to build roads?
For that matter, which is more important, building roads or building a $192 million Convention Center? That $192 million would have paid for half the roads the City needs.
If it sounds like someone has their spending priorities backwards – well, maybe they do.
I would imagine – and this is just a guess – the City Council will be happy to approve building the Westin; there’s not much to be said against a hotel that will pay $1.5 million in taxes a year, create 150 new jobs and which the Dean of the NC State School of Design says is an architectural wonder. And in addition, it’s supported by neighborhood activists.
But here’s a suggestion for the Republicans on the City Council – and Democrats too if they don’t mind an idea offered by a Republican. If the Marriotts (or Paris Hilton either for that matter) want to build a hotel in downtown Raleigh tell them, ‘That’s wonderful.’ But if they ask for a subsidy from taxpayers tell then no.
Taxpayers shouldn’t have to pay for all – or part – of their hotel. In other words, vote yes to the hotel and no to the subsidy.