3/2 News

Deuce · 03-02-2006, 07:28 AM

HB 371 Hotel Tax Bill Passes
Senate passed the bill 21-6.

Looks like we have funding for the stadium...

Poland Fall Prey to USA

prk166 · 03-02-2006, 07:42 AM

Funny how easily some of this has moved through the legislature. How many legislatures publicly questioned the stadium but still voted in favor of the bill?

AreliusIII · 03-02-2006, 07:56 AM

Municipalities flex their muscles
http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,635188635,00.html

SOCCER STADIUM

ISSUE: Real Salt Lake wants public funding - namely, hotel taxes - to help build a Major League Soccer stadium in Sandy.

DEBATE: HB371 would erase a 10-year sunset on Salt Lake County's current 1.25 percent transient room tax, providing the bulk of the $41 million public subsidy RSL wants for the project. The bill, sponsored by Rep. David Clark, R-Santa Clara, also would allow Utah's other 28 counties to levy the hotel tax to be spent on tourism and convention projects. Salt Lake City's hotel industry complains the bill would force them to pay the majority of the suburban sports complex, while it would see little of the benefit. County officials also are nervous, arguing RSL must first prove it is financially solvent.

OUTCOME: Despite the angst, the bill passed by a wide margin on the last day.
http://www.sltrib.com/search/ci_3561140

Deuce · 03-02-2006, 08:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AreliusIII

Salt Lake City's hotel industry complains the bill would force them to pay the majority of the suburban sports complex, while it would see little of the benefit.

Just like I said on BS....

That part in quotes I find extremely entertaining...

1) People come from out of state don't differentiate between SLC and Sandy so they are likely to book a hotel in SLC because they don't realize or more likely don't care that downtown is 10 miles from Sandy.

2) When the same tax/financing method was used for the Delta Center, the gateway and the Salt Palace... we didn't hear them moaning...

If we use their own logic... the the majority of the county had to foot those bills with little or no benefit...

I say to SLC hoteliers... it is time to buck up ... It is your turn as the whipping boy....

utah_heretic · 03-02-2006, 09:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Deuce

I say to SLC hoteliers... it is time to buck up ... It is your turn as the whipping boy....

I'm sure that attitude will be of great comfort to them

Aerick · 03-02-2006, 09:24 AM

Today is a good day!! 🙂

Deuce · 03-02-2006, 09:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by utah_heretic

I'm sure that attitude will be of great comfort to them

To be honest I really don't care if they are comfortable.
It won't be them footing the bill anyway... So I don't know why they are bi**hing about it.

Do you think they will not pass that tax on to the customer?
Sheesh... they act so hard done by and it is not costing them anything!

Jose Luis Luviano · 03-02-2006, 09:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Deuce

Do you think they will not pass that tax on to the customer?
Sheesh... they act so hard done by and it is not costing them anything!

Skiers/snowboarders can stay at Tahoe, Aspen, Jackson, etc and not have to pay the tax.

Deuce · 03-02-2006, 09:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jose Luis Luviano

Skiers/snowboarders can stay at Tahoe, Aspen, Jackson, etc and not have to pay the tax.

Do you seriously think that a skier or snowboarder will choose those other places based on a 1.5% tax? Seriously?

Besides that, the cost of staying in one of those places is probably (i don't know for sure) more than 1.5% more expensive!

Burninator · 03-02-2006, 09:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Deuce

Do you seriously think that a skier or snowboarder will choose those other places based on a 1.5% tax? Seriously?

Besides that, the cost of staying in one of those places is probably (i don't know for sure) more than 1.5% more expensive!

Come on! We all know the snow here is 10 times better than Colorado.

On top of that, there are other taxes to consider: sales, local option sales (which Aspen has, as does SLC, but less in SLC), and other taxes. You can't boil this down like that. There are a lot more ingredients in the tax pot to consider.

Way to go, legislature!!! Now, let's get the RSL media machine to convince the people that this is well worth their money...

:rei: Geoff
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REGULATORS! Mount up!