Spending money to benefit wealthy chains like the San Francisco based Kipton Hotels & Restaurants at the expense of socking it to taxpayers is over the top. It will serve the Sedona lodging business properly when tourists figure out that they can save paying both bed tax and increased sales tax outside city limits.

Councilman Mike Ward is correct in his assessment that chamber has little else to do except hang out at City Hall waiting for a financial hand-out. And now they have the wealth of places like Enchantment and Kimpton standing beside them.

http://www.azcentral.com/thingstodo/articles/20130613kimpton-buys-sedona-resort.html

I find the interesting part of the PR lingo being how confident the new owners are with their expensive brand of hotel in this little town needing more tax dollars to promote it. Seems like the C of C could take lessons from them instead of being the “Cash Cravers”.

Didn’t someone else suggest the local lodgers should pay for their own advertising and stop trying to get the wholesale twofer routine from the “cash cravers” by way of the Sedona tax payers and by raising the bed taxes?

Bottom line looks like c of c is looking for money to sustain themselves, there is a new player in town that could or could not be a friend of our towns – but they sure look like they have the bucks to take care of themselves!

With new money of this magnitude entering the Sedona scene (and within Sedona City Limits) why doesn’t the “chamber of cash cravers” (courtesy Charley Brown) just up the ante for membership to the Chairman’s Circle and thus derive funding from logical sources? Here’s the opportunity of a lifetime for the Lodging Council, together with Chamber of Cash Cravers, to discontinue their rant to scalp taxpayers.

BTW, contrary to a recent solicitation from the Lodging Council, it seems safe to proclaim that at least most of us are and remain aware of Sedona’s status as a tourist town without their questionably sage advice. Duh!

Their demands are what is causing people to resent tourists when the real culprits are those hammering for increased taxes.

Put a lid on it. Pursue the latest rich kids on the block “Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants” for the money you claim you need to market destination tourism.

Problem solved. Sedona City Council: HELLOOO!

Loving your wisdom.

Catering to out of area competition (not within Sedona city limits) is a slap in the face to other chamber members. And this Lodging Council, who is it died and put them in charge?

If city council raises taxes to benefit these greedy people under the guise of bringing Sedona to standards of places like Napa Valley and Santa Barbara in California and Scottsdale (Az) are they bordering on the brink of requiring sanity certification? Puleeze, this is reading more like a cheezy novel on a daily basis. Great Sedona publicity. When will there be a book signing event?

While the CCC looks like an insider deal (aka: never shown in the chambers presentations or their budgets submitted to the City) and such a “special” circle that is driven by big money – Will the Chamber please step up and explain and reveal the list of heavy donors? Guess the secret is out! Time to fess up Chamber!

The Chamber/Lodging Council (C/LC) continuously keeps asking, with their constant city presentations and now their combined full court press in the RRN and large ads (hey, save the money folks and put it to better marketing use), for more money and open house meetings.

And as they tell us: Sedona is losing market money. “More money” is their drum beat. Well, do a better business Plan. Pretty simple!

The Chamber/Lodging Council have the gull to expect all local business and lodging revenue source’s to just roll over and agree to agree to and charge more sales taxes and bed taxes and then be so happy to do so because people came to Sedona!!! Oh, please!

Another WOW! Almost forgot about the C/LC self serving letter to business’s. C/LC wants owners and managers and employees to sigh off on – where they all state: “Oh Yes, we agree to raising all taxes!”. Isn’t that called tenacity or intimidation to the highest level?

Suggestion: perhaps the C/LC should really get their sights on better business plans only in order to spend within their budgets?

Wonder why the lodging folks don’t want to spend their own money for advertising their own properties? Instead they seem to want to give it up to pay for a Chamber who holds the Chamber Chairman’s Circle as it’s highest promoter and perhaps favorite?

Hum. Looks to me like the chamber has only the one job of self continuation. Sad for all business owners. Sadder still for our City Council who keep bending to their begging!

Hey! If Enchantment is willing to cough up that much money….let them continue and double or triple the amounts as that will relieve everyone within the town… ! The Chamber needs to get the Hilton, and who ever else outside our town limits, to do same….my thought is those outside the City limits can afford to do so cuz they don’t have to charge their guests the 3% Bed Tax that our illustrious Chamber and Lodging Council want to add to Plus a higher sales tax that also gets added to all lodging venues and – lets not forget – Our Very Own City Council has stopped thinkin about our main City stream tax paying sources….think they are called Tourists.

Call Me Crazy. Isn’t this is like a Chamber and Lodging Council and for sure our City Council who can not connect the dots?