I am outraged! I have been reading article after article about
the Hollister City Council complaining there was between $250,000
and $360,000 in outstanding bills for public safety during the 2005
Independence Rally.
Editor,
I am outraged! I have been reading article after article about the Hollister City Council complaining there was between $250,000 and $360,000 in outstanding bills for public safety during the 2005 Independence Rally.
Nowhere, including in your publication, has there ever been posted the sales tax revenue collected by the city, county and state for all the sales that occur during the rally. Nowhere has the “bed tax” revenue collected from local campgrounds, hotels and other hospitality businesses been posted. Nowhere has the amount of money collected in tickets and fines for the various transgressions committed during the rally been posted.
I would venture to say that if all the income generated by the rally for the city of Hollister were added up and compared to the expenses, there would be a profit margin.
Many local businesses rely on one weekend to carry them through slow times when tourism and profits are down. Cities like Sturgis, Daytona Beach, Laconia and Laughlin have hosted rallies successfully for many years – and some cases many more years than has Hollister.
Pull your heads out and rethink your decisions. As the mayor made very clear, the bikers will be there rally or not. It is not too late. Cut back on the police chief’s gestapo tactics (a cost saving measure), take advantage of the rally income and reap the benefits of a well-run rally!
Keep Hollister on the map before it fades away and another city gets all the glory (and the money)!
Anthony Sterling, Morro Bay
