THE INSIDE STORY OF THE 2014 SUPER BOAT RACE DISASTER!
Part 2 in a Series. Please see Part 1 below.
THE INSIDE STORY OF THE 2014 SUPER BOAT RACE DISASTER!
EXCLUSIVELY ON STOP BAD GOVERNMENT!!
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The 2014 Super Boat Race
Part 2 in a Series
Failure to Launch – Problems Started Long Before Race Day
Let’s get the basics out of the way. The Super Boat race did not generate enough money to cover the costs.
So let’s look at why and what lead to this problem, which was partially reported in the newspaper and discussed from a one sided perspective at a few of the Charlotte Board of County Commissioners (BCC) meetings.
Journalists have a way of “making news”. They create a crisis by “gotcha questions”, then they “report” it, then watch the fallout and “report” on the results of their initial reporting. It’s creative reporting that makes headlines. But what’s the result? A great headline, but only part of the story.
In a similar vein, why would the Commissioners vote to fund an event by providing $250,000 in taxpayer dollars and then ridicule and degrade the event from that point on, creating an image of failure before the event has had a chance to get off the ground?
It wasn’t long after the $250,000 was approved by the Commissioners that the attacks began. Listed below are comments made at public meetings, private gatherings and organizational meetings. Many of these statements are available for viewing on the archived county website under the County Commissioners’ Regular Meeting videos.
As you’re reading these statements, remember that the bigger potential sponsors were also watching and listening. Ask yourself, if you were considering tens of thousands of dollars in sponsorship, would you be eager to become involved after hearing or seeing the following?
Commissioner Patricia Duffy, “I’m having grave concerns about this event and it might be wise to shut it down” – at a public BCC meeting.
Sheriff Bill Prummell, during the initial security meeting with the heads of the safety departments, “I’ll shut this thing down now.” – He then walked out, never to return to another race planning meeting or event.
Commissioner Chris Constance…I’d like to see this event shutdown” – at a public BCC meeting…..only one month after the event was approved.
Commissioner Stephen Deutsche, “Maybe we have made a mistake in doing this, and we should consider stopping now.” – at a public BCC meeting.
Chris Constance: In a conversation with one of our chairman, at a party when Constance did not know of our chairman’s involvement at the time, “If it was up to me alone, I’d shut this project down now.”
Many more of these types of public statements were made, but you get the point. Take the time to view them on the county website of BCC meetings.
Why were these comments made publicly? The concern was that the boat race committee did not have a big sponsor or more sponsors to offset “the ever increasing costs”. Once again, would you be eager to sponsor an event that was being undermined by the very governing body that would approve it?
A number of private meetings were held with the individual commissioners, pleading with them to limit these “public” comments due to the damage and distrust they were creating with potential sponsors. The race committee urged the BCC to advise them of any concerns privately so the issues could be discussed and corrected. Public ridicule and negative comments from our public officials helped create a defeatist atmosphere that stopped potential sponsors from any further involvement with the race event.
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Next up, Part 3 – Charlotte County Government or Local Mafiosi?
Why were the event costs skyrocketing?
The boat race committee identified the estimated budgets for many of the other race sites in Florida. The average total cost to produce those race events ranged from $120,000 to $135,000.
The actual cost to produce the IDENTICAL race in Charlotte County? Over $360,000.
WHY?
