councilor.org
| Source | Citizen Action for a Prosperous Pueblo |
| Date | 08/06/13/09:19 |
| 1. The City contends that the expansion will have a major economic impact on Pueblo. The existing facility has operated at a deficit from the beginning and with the expansion a deficit is also projected. Most of the money spent by conventioneers in Pueblo will leave Pueblo so the economic impact is minimized.
2. Who is going to gain from the Convention Center expansion. Certainly not the middleclass or the poor people. The only type of jobs created will be menial jobs such as clerks, house maids, waiters, etc. It will be the rich getting richer; hotels and restaurant owners, construction companies, etc. 3. The City has outstanding bond debt and operating deficits on the existing convention center, HARP, City golf courses, swimming pools, and who knows what else. There is the new City campus to take into consideration. 4. When the City Administration suggested that Pueblo needed a convention center, they went to the public saying how great things were going to be. Now they're saying it's too small and it will accommodate only small conventions and events. What did they expect when you build a small Convention Center. Is this the foot in the door ploy? The City could not afford the small one then and the City can't afford the big one now. Surprise, Surprise! 5. There is a lot of competition for conventions and even if Pueblo had a large convention center what amenities does the City have to offer. The river walk, well there's a half hour of time spent, what's next? At this point in time the only way Pueblo could attract a large convention is to be extremely cheap. 6. One of the biggest problems Pueblo has is transportation. Eighty percent of the population of Colorado is to the north of Pueblo and the only way to get here is to drive down I-25. Pueblo airport does not have a large number of commercial flights scheduled. Having large conventions are not feasible without solving the transportation problems. |
Copyright (c) 1998, Joongpil Cho