January 22, 2005

The recent cold weather on the day of the Presidential Inauguration reminded me of a moment in history - William Henry Harrison's inauguration. It was cold and wet on March 4, 1841, but Harrison refused to wear a hat and coat. Harrison has a number of records - the longest inauguration speech, the oldest person elected president (at the time) and the shortest length of presidency. But Harrison is remembered for not wearing a hat and coat and then dying from the cold he caught a month later.

(Picture from the Library of Congress) Why didn't Harrison wear a coat and hat in rainy weather? Some people have guessed because of his concerns over his age that Harrison wanted to appear "rugged"! As a result, Harrison has gone down in history as someone too foolish to wear a coat! Pride and arrogance prevented Harrison from listening to common sense with regard to wearing a hat and coat. Pride and arrogance made Harrison a laughing stock in Presidential history.

The Harrison story reminded me of convention centers supporters. I wonder if our "leaders" are considering how they are going to look in the public's eye a few years from now after the convention center is built? What will people think about their discernment and wisdom in pushing this project when the project fails miserably? What will the public think when the county has to put up millions of dollars and raise property taxes to pay for this mistake?

Two block away from the proposed convention center is the failed 1960's attempt at "government knows best". Our "leaders" tore down beautiful buildings and chased away taxpaying businesses and built a massive concrete structure that is now mocked by even the "leaders" that are pushing the convention center! In 1970, United States Senator Hugh Scott declared that the project was the beginning of the revitalization of Lancaster City. Months later, the very stairs where Scott made that announcement were tore down! The hotel that was built at this time has gone bankrupt THREE times!

I have been fighting the convention center project since its inception because I didn’t believe it would work and that it would ultimately hurt the very people that it was suppose to be helping. In the past year, I backed off from publicly condemning the doomed project because I wanted convention center supporters to have room to admit they are wrong and pull the plug on the project. I wanted them to have room to see the fallacy and, frankly, the lies that convention centers help revitalize cities. They have not.

Recently Dr. Heyward Sanders of the Brookings Institute published an extensive study on the claims of convention centers and showed that they are lacking (Click here to read the entire 1/2 meg long report).

Why are our leaders continuing to push this project when the facts show the project is doomed? For one thing, the Penn Square Partners have made millions of dollars on this project without a shovel being turned. When the Lancaster New Era dismisses the Brookings Institute report saying that Lancaster County is different, they are showing why 5thEstate.com has consistently called the print-news-monopoly the propaganda arm of the Penn Square Partners. Everywhere across this country, "leaders" are listening to the liars called consultants and spending billions and billions of dollars of public money to build bigger and bigger convention centers that NEVER do what consultants said they would do! Normally a newspaper would investigate claims and print them. Lancaster Newspapers can't because they are snorting from the public teat.

5thEstate.com recently showed how the Penn Square Partners stand to get over 80 million dollars of public money. Did you read that in the newspaper? No, you read in the New Era editorial, "They (Penn Square Partners) are not placing their millions of dollars; or the dollars of you, the taxpayer; at risk on a certain failure." Money at risk? Please. They don't have one cent at risk! Not one! The Penn Square Partners will not own one bit of the hotel or the convention. Not one brick. Not one nail. Nothing. Nada. The public has everything at risk and has given the Partners millions and millions of your tax dollars besides!

We know why the newspaper continues to push this doomed idea but what about Lancaster's leaders? I fear that it's the same thing that killed William Henry Harrison - pride and arrogance. Harrison wanted to be known as virile and tough, instead he is known in history as a fool.

Read and study the facts. Convention centers do NOT work. They are money pits that rob taxpayers of money that could have gone to something good. The time to pull the plug on this doomed project is now. Before we waste more money on consultants. Before we waste more money on buildings that will be torn down. Before incurring debt on behalf of our grandchildren .

I honestly believe that most leaders that are supporting this project mean well. It's time they started looking at the facts and help start a movement to pull the plug!


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