Tallahassee Tea Party

Link to YouTube: Wait! Don't Dump Tommy Waits 

Recent Letter:

January 4, 2009

Sharon Liggett, President/CEO, TACVB

Michelle Personette, Chair, Tallahassee Area Convention & Visitors Bureau 

Ken Morris, acting Tourist Development Council (TDC) Director

Leon County Commissioners

Re: Board and Council Nominations & Responsibility of the TDC

Dear Sharon, Michelle, Ken and Commissioners:

Nominations

I recently spoke with Georgia Ackerman, owner of The Wilderness Way. As I told Georgia, I support Tommy Waits, Florida Tourism Pioneer, continuing on the Tourist Development Council (TDC) and I am nominating Georgia for the next available TACVB board seat. YouTube Link:  Wait! Keep Tommy Waits

As noted on the VisitFlorida website: Tommy Waits of Tallahassee was a pivotal force in the creation of the Florida Commission on Tourism and its operating company, VISIT FLORIDA, which is now recognized worldwide as the model for a successful private/public tourism marketing partnership. http://www.visitflorida.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Florida_Tourism_Hall_of_Fame&Template=/CM/HTMLDisplay.cfm&ContentID=8823

Please consider Georgia Ackerman, owner of The Wilderness Way for the next available seat on the TACVB board. YouTube Link:   Wait!   Keep Tommy Waits http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iumGeqp20sk&feature=channel_page

Tourist Development Council Responsibility

With regard to the TDC Responsibility outlined by Leon County on page 1 of 3 at www.taxteaparty.com/wait, I am concerned the TDC needs to focus more attention on “Review expenditures of revenue from the development trust fund.” It is my understanding that county commissioners have raided all TDC reserves spending over two million dollars on charitable causes and pet projects during the past two years.  The TDC should condemn expenditures that do not promote tourism as is the purpose of the trust fund.  Especially troubling is the fact that $300,000 was approved for the Goodwood bailout. www.taxteaparty.com/goodwood  Such expenditures do not promote “heads in beds.” It directly competes against owners of private meeting space and collectors of the bed tax.

Respectfully submitted,

Pace Allen

Pace Allen, Attorney, CPA, Partner - Paden Properties, www.paden.info

General Manager, Country Inn & Suites Tallahassee East

Former Chairman, Tallahassee Area Convention & Visitors Bureau

"Wait! Don't Dump Tommy Waits (Florida Tourism Pioneer) from the Leon County Tourist Development Council.  Keep Mr. Waits on the Council. Put Commissioner Desloge's good friend on the Tallahassee Area Convention & Visitors Bureau board not on the TDC."

Pace Allen, attorney, CPA, former Chairman - Tallahassee

       Area Convention & Visitors Bureau

Leon County Commissioners and

Members – Tourist Development Council and

Members – Tallahassee Area Convention & Visitors Bureau

Re: Effort to dump Tommy Waits from the Tourist Development Council, see the 5 minute portion of the meeting at http://www.leoncountyfl.gov/ADMIN/Agenda/all.asp?id=444, Agenda Item 23, Beginning at Minute 24: Second 40

Dear Commissioners and Members,

I just viewed the December 9, Leon County Commission meeting linked above.  At the meeting, Commissioner Thaell nominated Commissioner Bryan Desloge's good friend to replace Tommy Waits on the Tourist Development Council. Commissioner Rackleff thinks it's a good idea to get away from the "usuals". He supports Commissioner Thaell's nomination to replace Tommy Waits. Commissioner Desloge wants “new blood”.

Some folks on the commission have abandoned the long term sustainable goal of "heads in beds."  They raided and drained all TDC reserves this past year by funding non-tourist tax generating charitable pet projects.  The Goodwood Bailout of $300,000 directly competes against private owners of meeting space.  Two million tax dollars have now been spent for Goodwood, culture charities and a performing arts center. This spending is simply priming the pump for the proposed 90% tax funded performing arts center.   

As all commissioners know, Mr. Waits would like to continue to serve on the Council. Commissioners also know of Tommy's experience and qualifications.    http://www.visitflorida.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Florida_Tourism_Hall_of_Fame&Template=/CM/HTMLDisplay.cfm&ContentID=8823  He was a pivotal force in the creation of the Florida Commission on Tourism and its operating company, VISIT FLORIDA, which is now recognized worldwide as the model for a successful private/public tourism marketing partnership. He was inducted into the Florida Tourism Hall of Fame in 2002.

Commissioners, please reconsider your efforts to dump Mr. Waits from the Tourist Development Council. Members let commissioners know your opinions. Commissioner Desloge’s good friend will be a great addition to the Tallahassee Area Convention & Visitor Board.  Keep “old blood” Tommy Waits on the Tourist Development Council.  Don’t dump him.

Respectfully Submitted,

Pace Allen

Pace  Allen, attorney, CPA, former Chairman, Tallahassee Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, General Manager - Country Inn & Suites Tallahassee East, Member: Tallahassee Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, Project for Private Funding of the Arts 

updated December 30, 2008

Leon County Commissioners,

Thanks for keeping me "out of the ditch" and thank you for your public service. Your thoughtful feedback is always appreciated. I endeavor to speak truth in every instance.

I've copied you regarding my efforts to keep and use our state song, Swanee River [Old Folks at Home] to promote Florida tourism, history, diversity, sustainability and culture.  I learned last year that no local politician would stand up to keep our state song. Also, no local politician stood against spending over two million tourist tax dollars for activities that don’t promote tourism.  The Goodwood Bailout even competes against private owners of meeting space. www.taxteaparty.com/goodwood  In addition, no local politician publicly questions the human caused global warming farce, ttp://taxteaparty.com/gorebal_warming  Instead you support City of Tallahassee handouts for mercury laden light bulbs. Excessive political correctness is dangerous and expensive.  Stop LeadersLip Tallahassee at Swanee River.  www.taxteaparty.com 

Excessive: political correctness, taxes, bailouts, government grants, handouts, regulations, public/private partnerships, entitlements and tax based social engineering are not sustainable.  Freedom works. http://taxteaparty.com/freedomworks  The excesses do not work in the long term.  Term limits for the elected nor for the appointed do not work; they hurt in the long term.  Freedom works with an informed citizenry.  The nanny state leads to badly informed citizens, more public-private partnerships, socialism and communism.

The nanny state provides services private citizens should be providing such as charity.  There’s no virtue in taking from one citizen to give to another citizen or giving to another public-private partnership.  Citizens should be trusted to own their own trees, the crops they grow and the fruits of their labor. http://taxteaparty.com/trees-r-us Why should I need a permit to cut a tree grown by me?  Freedom means personal responsibility.  The excesses draw more hogs and mobs to the tax troughs each day.  Now, cities, counties, and states are begging at tax and grant troughs too.  All these tax troughs are connected.  Stop the hogs and mobs in Florida. Let’s stop these excesses in Florida at Swanee River.

We need a local leader, such as an existing Leon County Commissioner, to stand up for personal responsibility and for the informed citizenry.  Why should the responsible citizens pay for the irresponsible? I lobby Leon County Commissioners to stop the excesses using Swanee River.  Use it or lose it.  As Benjamin Franklin departed the Constitutional Convention, a matron demanded to know, after four months’ secrecy, what the delegates had produced.  “A republic,” Franklin answered, “if you can keep it.”

You commissioners take stands and spend money to promote the global warming farce. But, you would not stand this past year to keep Swanee River.  How can you be expected to “keep a republic”?  You start with small steps as Commissioner Desloge says.  Let leaders at the Tallahassee Symphony, FAMU, FSU [Seminary West of Suwannee River] and the Tallahassee Boys Choir know that you support promoting

Tallahassee and Florida by performing our state song at Barack Obama’s Inauguration and other performance opportunities.  I like Ray Charles’ Swanee River Rock and other versions, taxteaparty.com/chipmunk_swanee_recount

Let everyone know that Tallahassee and Florida support freedom and personal responsibility; not the nanny state. Freedom is the sustainable long term solution for many of our problems.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eI5MB6L84iA Taking, taxing and regulating are not long term solutions.

Respectfully submitted,

Pace Allen, Tallahassee native, attorney, CPA,

     former Chairman – Tallahassee Area Convention and Visitors Bureau

P.S.: Wait, don’t dump, Florida Tourism Pioneer, Tommy Waits. Keep “old blood” Tommy Waits on the Tourist Development Council.  www.taxteaparty.com/wait  Appoint Commissioner Desloge’s good friend to the Tallahassee Area Convention & Visitor Bureau Board perhaps she be appointed to the Council after serving on the TACVB Board

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