Op-ed by Peter Children –
Forty thousand for statues, seventy thousand more to move Eric’s desk, pretty soon it adds up quick. Have you noticed there is always ready cash for whatever the inmates in 5 East want…why not they are in charge….they own the entire council, there is not one descending vote at that table. If per chance some one would vote no, you people all get excited, worked up into a lather thinking the tide is turning. The no vote is orchestrated before the meeting starts, it’s done to appease you.
Now the “Hotel” claims they did 1 million in revenues their first year. Do I believe them? Not really. It comes down to the simplest of arithmetic. (1) The 1910 Grill just opened and only serves in the evening, scratch that. The bar might ring up a duce a day ($200.00) on average through the first year figuring a six day week. If Eric was in there it might be bumped a little. Total $60,000.00. $940,000.00 to go to reach I million. Twenty seven rooms at $120.00 each divided into $940.000.00 would mean 7,833 room were rented throughout the year, or on average 21.46 rooms each day….didn’t happen. Maybe they sell a lot of magazines. To answer a question often asked; the hotel is tax free, they pay no property taxes of any kind. If they were assessed it would run close to $14,000.00 per year.
Did the hotel “help” generate 1 million in revenue their first year? Probably that and much more….that hotel is a winner and will be for years to come. We are all lucky it’s right where it is.
The hotel is totally innocent it’s not mad at anyone, rather it is the establishment who control it that most find a problem with. Addmittly there is a veiled conception of underlying arrogance prevalent there; a false belief that only a select group are welcome…and they’d much prefer the rest went elsewhere. The only problem is that in a city of this size there just isn’t enough statue people to fully support it and at the same time not enough rooms available to generated enough cash flow to be fluid. Mr Noto wants you all to believe what he said, I don’t have a problem with that, if he’s happy and content, then I am happy for him.
Peter Children
