To the Editor,
Re: BIA leaders share ideas for success, April 10.
A writer said it a month ago, and they’re right. The back-slapping is now being blurted-out claiming how great the B.C. and Alberta business improvement area conference was in Nanaimo. But would anyone, with anything to do with it, say otherwise?
Attendees had their trip paid for by taxpayers – travel, lodging, food, entertainment and pocket money. They had a trip to a geographically great harbour city, where they could sip wine on other folks’ dimes.
And great connections for oneself were made for local DNBIA staff and their board – who get more than $400,000 a year of our public money to do what they please.
It is downright disgusting that an event can be staged with everyone else’s money so delegates can exchange information on how great they think each other is, while sharing information on ways to throw our money away.
Close to three-quarters of the Nanaimo budget goes to salaries, administration, public relations – and now patting itself on the back for conventions.
Heck, a seminar was even held on how to reach out to media and positively spin stories like the one in this paper.
It is laughable but sad to read the Nanaimo BIA boasting that many communities look to it for “leading-edge ideas”.
What hogwash. It was nowhere to be seen when downtown was in a shambles and unsafe. It did diddly to pull downtown from the doldrums.
This society is all about putting whatever it can out there and spinning it to make itself look good.
Nanaimo definitely leads the way in public relations theatrics and spin-doctoring – so don’t buy the “sales pitch”.
Frank Mendelson
Nanaimo