The SNH reports the “annual State of the City event is coming to Suffolk Tuesday, and the happening promises to draw hundreds of the region’s top business, political and community leaders to Suffolk. Mayor Linda T. Johnson will deliver the speech at a luncheon April 27 at noon at the Hilton Garden Inn and Suffolk Conference Center, 100 E. Constance Road. She is expected to highlight key business development initiatives, provide strategic progress updates, address challenges and opportunities in the city and provide a glimpse into what lies in Suffolk’s future. To purchase tickets for the event, visit www.hamptonroadschamber.com. Tickets are $40 for members and $60 for non-members. More than 300 area residents are expected to be in attendance at Suffolk’s event.” You can see a Times Square stage show for $60.
IF HALF OF THE 300 EXPECTED ARE MEMBERS AND HALF ARE NOT, the Chamber will scoop up $15,000 for dispensing news the SNH should condense and print for ALL of us to read. Remove The Mayor’s usual glorifying enhancements and it might fill a quarter page.
6 comments:
Blah, blah, blah. The place will be filled with city employees and school district folks. Members of the Chamber will be there - that's from where the businesses will come. School staff will use citizen dollars to buy their tickets. City staff will work for hours and hours and hours for this event instead of serving citizens.
I too agree that this is nothing more than a propaganda event for the mighty mouse of a mayor we have and her minion, so they can preen before the camera. In Chicago they call this a media event to get their side fo the facts out, which in the south translates into nothing more than a shout out for all those who should support those in the big chairs. If Mrs Johnson really wanted to do something for the people, she would put a nice little editorial of aobut 400 words in the Suffolk News Herald, our hometown paper saying what she needs to say to us all. But no, she never misses an opportunity to claim the lime-light to talk up her do nothing, achomplish nothing, give nothing speaches that only are used as another chance to stand over us all. When these things happen they make one and all look smaller, so she and her handlers can look bigger. I say, hold the words mayor, just cut taxes and save us all your hot air! Summer is coming and we need the relief!
Gee,
May be Ombama ought to take Linda's lead and start charging for participants at the State of the Union speech. What do you say we charge Congress $10,000 a seat and Ombama could make $585,000 plus TV rights and Ombama supporters? It is comical that Linda is holding an event at a location that costs the taxpayers $400,000 a year in support payments. Maybe Suffolk is a lot like Washington? What do you think?
the $15,000 revenue projection only holds true if the Hilton were to provide the space and the lunch for free, which they will not. At a minimum a lunch is $12 and then you probably have to rent the space. So round up to $15, then the revenue projection goes down significantly.
just did not want anyone to think it was a clear 15k profit for anyone, with the free tickets to selected guests, it was probably less than 5k to the chamber. And they had to advertise and provide other support for the event. All Cities in Southside Hampton Roads participate in some type of "state of the City". Not saying Suffolk Govt. is perfect by any means, but on this one, give them a break.
The SNH did cover the "gist" of the meeting but most of it had been "speeched" before, very little new info from Linda. There was the usual back patting for staying above the fray regardless of bad times, and building up city reserves. But little was said by the mayor or the paper about the generosity of Suffolk tax payers that deserve most of the credit. credit.
The Mayor's speach can be summarized as ....yawn, zzzzzzz. How much did it cost the tax payer to have someone write it?
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