Va. Beach subsidy by taxpayers is gift that keeps on giving

It's true, you know. Even the heart of a Grinch grows bigger around the holidays.

So, while reading The Pilot’s front-page story on the troubled convention business Sunday morning, it occurred to me that my negativism toward Virginia Beach’s proposed convention center headquarters hotel – a $109 million project with a $67 million public “contribution” – might be a bit selfish.

After all, why should it always be about the taxpayers? What about the city’s innkeepers? Don’t we all have a shared responsibility to see that their rooms are filled – year-round if possible?

So what if some of us are falling behind as our stagnant wages refuse to keep up with hikes in tuition, gas and trash fees. This is why God made credit cards.

You see, despite a sparkling $200 million convention center, conventioneers aren’t coming to town – unless they’re bribed with free space and swag bags full of discounts.

Naturally, the geniuses at City Hall believe the solution is to build more hotel rooms. On our dime.

According to Pilot reporters Mike Hixenbaugh and Aaron Applegate, in the past two years 14 groups paid nothing to use the convention space in return for pledging to spend a set amount on food and lodging. Yet the city (that would be you and me) spends $5.8 million a year to run the center and another mil to market it. The city spends almost $3.2 million a year in subsidies and another $15.1 million in debt service.

City honchos responded to this dreary news with a blizzard of estimated tax revenue numbers they say were generated by the visiting freeloaders.

Every expenditure seems to be chased by another in a desperate attempt to gin up room, meals and admissions taxes.

Here’s a thought: Let’s cut out the middleman, close the convention center and simply write annual checks to local businesses.

It might be cheaper.

Primary colors

Lemme get this straight. Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich wants to be the leader of the free world, yet his crack campaign team couldn’t manage to comply with state rules to get him on the ballot in the Virginia Republican primary?

That’s alarming.

Candidates needed to have 10,000 valid signatures by 5 p.m. on Dec. 22 to get on the March 6 Super Tuesday ballot.

Looks like Newt didn’t make it. Neither did Rick Perry.

Perry filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday to get his name on the ballot, while Gingrich has been talking about a write-in campaign. Never mind that write-ins don’t count in Virginia primaries.

Yes, it’s true the commonwealth does require a lot of signatures. Still, it looks like Mitt Romney managed to garner the requisite number in time. So did Ron Paul.

After last week’s missed deadline, Newt’s campaign director reportedly posted his frustration on Facebook.

“Newt and I agreed that the analogy is December 1941: We have experienced an unexpected set-back, but we will re-group and re-focus with increased determination, commitment and positive action.”

Wait. Newt “agreed” that being left off the Virginia primary ballot was a lot like the attack on Pearl Harbor?

Historians. They really know how to keep everything in perspective, don’t they?

ABC

Gov. Bob McDonnell may have abandoned his quixotic quest to get the state out of the booze business, but he was right to try.

Please explain why it is the role of government to peddle alcohol to the people. Why not cigarettes? Coffee? Cinnamon buns?

Yet if there’s an upside to this Soviet-style distribution plan, it’s that the state is able to track and quantify our drinking habits, which always makes for good reading. This week, the ABC board announced that despite – or maybe because of – the lousy economy, Virginians are imbibing more than ever. In fact, liquor sales were up 17.3 percent in the 2011 fiscal year.

The best-selling bottle in Virginia? According to news reports, it was Jack Daniel’s. The top 10 included three whiskeys, four vodkas, two rums and the vile Jägermeister.

Surprisingly, tequila was not on the list. Friends, we’re clearly not drinking enough margaritas.

Cheers.

Kerry Dougherty, (757) 446-2306, kerry.dougherty@cox.net