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Huh? : 7/28/2010

The City is ALREADY SPENDING $1 MILLION a year to promote and advertise the City, even though I don't know exactly how the 1 Mil is spent or who is getting a salary to manage this... Now we are asking tourists to pay for all the "Creek Geeks" that are on the City's payroll , and in addition, ANOTHER tax for advertising- Where does it end? Santa Barbara is not the "Tourist Destination" it used to be, don't kid yourself.

Bad decision : 7/28/2010

Unfortunately this is another example of a Council getting caught up in the rhetoric of government speak and doing the "best(?)" for business. There is the Chamber of Commerce and trade associations. It is not and should not be the business of government to force participation and taxation upon businesses.
This stems from the unfortunate creation of Downtown Organization by government and often it becomes a tool of government when it should not be. Trying to limit the heavy hand of government by keeping it is to 150 rooms or larger is like asking do you want a broken arm or leg?
This needs to stop. Will it? Not as long as the voters continue to vote in tax and spend representatives.

Still tired

Taxes : 7/28/2010

Can't the hotel association or the Chamber do this without the City?

Why?

downtown : 7/28/2010

I'm a local who generally avoids downtown. Monday I went downtown to do a little shopping. It was a good reminder why I avoid the area. Parking is a pain, panhandlers everywhere, and many parts of the area smelled of urine. The tourism group may want to consider improving on those issues. Most of my friends and family visiting on repeat visits what to avoid the area too.

grossed out

So Right : 7/28/2010

"grossed out", you are so right on this one. All the money spent advertising won't change the real problem, Santa Barbara is considered a "dirty" city. A good friend recently visited and stayed at a hotel across form Pershing Park, and even though he had lived here 15 years ago, he said never seen such a filthy city. Until SB deals with the Hobo's and Vagrants that have taken over downtown and the Harbor they will continue to lose tourist revenue. If they need an example then they should look to Berkeley, that city has the toughest homeless laws in the state.

CManSB

Bring 'em here... : 7/28/2010

Not the Tourists, the bums...Numerous jurisdictions that HAD homeless (bum/vargrant) problems have solved them by sending them to Santa Barbara via Greyhound Bus vouchers.
Once they are here, in Bum Paradise, they get all the meals they'd like, a choice of Casa Esparanza, Resue Mission, Salvation Army,Beach camping or vouchers that the City obtained for cheap hotels on upper State St. If they wait long enough, they can get on Helene Schnieder's "Chronic Homeless Housing List" and get a condo on Castillo and Carrillo, Garden St or the new soon to be opened at Cota or De La Guerra St.
Just think of the revenue if we could tax the bums... Forget the tourists, they are on the way out.

no more taxes : 7/28/2010

I bet adding yet another tax is going to have a negative on hotels occupancy.
Also interesting to see the owner run hotels not in favor of the tax --

taxpayer

Masters of Perception : 7/28/2010

Santa Barbara in some ways is like the city of Bell. Insiders
taking a whole lotta money with naive residents just whistling
and skipping along. Kathy Janega Dykes at the Conference and
Vistors Bureau and Steve Cushman at the Santa Barbara Chamber
make huge salaries with big smiles on their faces. They know most
of you are suckers to their quarterly hype and business leaders
awards at their members expense. They both oversee fat city
contracts at the expense of you the hard working taxpayer and now
they want the small hotel owner to pay an additional tax? You chumps
will pay it because you're too scared or lazy or "too busy" to demand a full accounting of both
these organizations books. As for Cushman his game is sweeter;hide behind the title that the chamber is a non
profit thus bigger tax write offs and more money in his pocket. But no new marketing
or high profile awareness where the chamber is spending ITS money to promote this city!
Wake up Santa Barbara and demand that these check cashers be terminated!!!

Sarah L.

Self assessed tax : 7/29/2010

This is the first part of the city budget reduction. Why wouldn't the city agree to all the hoteliers creating their own fund for tourism? Next step the city will reduce the funding to the CVB because the CVB will have theiir own fund to spend. Instead they should ask the city to match or double the fund created by this TBID. It is easy to ask the tourist to pay additional tax on top of the measure B 2% TOT to clean up creek, and you know the creek is not any cleaner the money is just used to pay salaries of the city creek clean up expert.

Jamie

self assessed tax? : 7/29/2010

The hotels will just collect the tax from the tourist but you know people are not coming to SB because the city fail to clean up the homeless and gang problems and not to mention all the construction and traffic around 101. Unfortunately the hotels that agree to this TBID during the slower season will have to pay this self assesed tax because they will have to reduce the room rates to attract guest.

Jay

SB : 7/29/2010

I think SB has the prowess never to advertise again.

poster:

Information and Education : 7/30/2010

Just some info that should be circulated. Up to 13% of city revenue is generated by tourism. Without the tourism dollar we would have severe negative impacts on education, parks, police, and fire departments. Most areas that have significant tourism have or are creating TBIDs. This includes Monterey, San Diego, San Franciso, Napa, Sacramento and the list goes on. We are in competition with these other areas for dollars spent in California. The assessment is paid by the hotel guest not local citizens. We live here because it is beautiful, that is why others vacation here. If you don't like people, move to where people won't visit like Needles or Blythe. Nothing against either place, just somewhere I wouldn't think to vacation.

Concerned