Talk of Lufkin

By Island_Guy

July 1, 2009 2:29 AM | Link to this

Well, of course. The hotelier’s entire profit margin and operating budgets would become literally a forgotten financial benefit.

This is the aftermath of the recent spending-spree that Obama-Lama-Land imposed on the innocent, non-voting, non-complying, non-accepting public of the “stimulus plan” of giving away billions all over the US to corporations who failed the American taxpayer in the first place, and giving away billions of dollars all over the world, especially in Africa for worthless causes. And it is still going on, and now, we are beginning to pay dearly for this magnificent barrel of crap we have been handed. The end will not be near until three, maybe four generations of our future sanguinity will be born!

I said before, someone or some people in Lufkin operating this effort is not thinking at all. If they want to tie-in tourism, they best lay off imposing higher hotel taxes, among other taxes, so in turn, the operators of these facilities will not have to direly increase the value of the rental rooms and suites. Advertising must be adjusted, too, which costs money.

A lot of “orders” are coming from the state (of Texas), but I wonder who is ordering Texas? Guess who and from where?

Kool-Aid, anyone?

By Old Man

July 1, 2009 7:22 AM | Link to this

Of all the organizatios listed that were given hotel tax money, only one is located at a “reasonable” place; the Expo center. If you’re serious about promoting tourism, perhaps you should consider relocating the Forestry Museum, the Museum of East Texas and The Civic Center to more accessible and prominent locations. If you want Lufkin tourism to grow, you’re going to ahve to grow-up in you’re thinking and get these places out where they are prominent.

By concernedtaxpayer

July 1, 2009 8:39 AM | Link to this

I am afraid I don’t understand the logic that raising prices (via tax) will promote tourism? It stands to reason that just the opposite would occur. Why would anyone choose to pay for a hotel room in the highest priced city in the state? Visiting the Forestry museum, or the Museum of East Texas. Get real these two entities are in no way generating the kind of tourism that is going to support the hotel economy, yet seem to be receiving large chunks of money for what? that same nostalgia we have going on in downtown. The civic center and the expo center granted when they have something big happening at these locations there are generally quite a few people there, but before taxing tourism perhaps we should have an informed study about just how many of these people are in-towners, who will be driving back to their own homes after said event. How many are horseman who often come equipped with trailers that provide their own sleeping and dining quarters?

It seems pretty self serving for the paper to promote an increase in taxes when their publisher is on the Board of Tourism as well. Not exactly incentive to remain objective on the issue. Another issue is what was the real motive for creating a Tourism Board when the Chamber of Commerce was already handling this? Then admit to diverting funds from the Chamber of Commerce to the Tourism Board. Since the publisher is on the board then there is absolutely no reason why the fine citizens of this community should not receive a complete accounting of how much money is received, where it is dispersed and just how much more profitable the hotels in town were from said increase (when they do manage to push it through). If anyone had bothered to read articles in various tourism hot spots you would see their hotels as well as restaurants and souvenir shops have suffered a decline in recent times because of the recession, job loss and people just not willing to spend that extra 2 cents on what amounts to a vacation not a necessity. These places have an ocean front view with cabins on the beach as a draw. What does Lufkin have that warrants spending almost a million dollars at a time when tourism is on the decline everywhere, with 800 protesters lined up because some of our local public are not even sure they can afford to keep their own homes. Mr. Suiter and Mr. Gorden need to take stock of the community and quit trying to fund pet projects by gouging the taxpayers. Is it not enough that Texas Industries, the papermill and Lufkin Industries (soon to follow) are ghost towns that you now turn your attention to putting our hotel owners out of business as well.

Another point of contention, not that I am a religious nut by any means, but why is it the Pentecostal Campground gets no money from this fund and evidently does allright on its own, when they have something going on every hotel and restaurant in town is full. They may not be massive tippers, but they are still having to pay for the cost of the meal and the hotel rooms they occupy which is good business for the town.

If monetary decisions do not improve, come next election time I know who I won’t be voting for.

By Sam

July 1, 2009 9:48 AM | Link to this

It appears that each person who has commented on this article would better able to serve as mayor of Lufkin. Why on earth would anyone think that raising any tax would draw tourist or anyone else to Lufkin! This has got to be the most riduculous thinking I have ever heard. Sounds like National politics as reached Lufkin. Also, agreeing with one poster, even though the Forestry Museum and the Museum of East Texas are fine organizations I can’t help but ask, who would come from out of town to visit one these? If this is going to be the only tourist attractions that Lufkin is planning to drawn people to the area then they had better spend the tax dollars on bringing industry or something more positive to Lufkin. Why not check with the people who put you in office before making such a decision? No one is higher than taking sound advice from those who put them there. After all you are SUPPOSED to be to there serve US. Wake Up!!!!!

By mr big

July 1, 2009 12:22 PM | Link to this

so was the increase two percent, as stated, or two cents, as stated also. or just another LDN typo?

By Fed up

July 1, 2009 1:07 PM | Link to this

I just don’t understand why politicians feel as though raising taxes is always their only recourse!! Have they ever thought about eliminating or reducing give away programs!! Every time we turn around someone is in out pockets. People are angry about taxes and have had enough. Everytime you raise taxes, that tax is passed on to the consumer. Our property taxes here are already ridiculous and now in an effort to promote tourism the politicians feel that raising taxes is the answer. Try thinking of some other way to raise revenue. Once again we could get rid of some intitlement programs! Or how about not spending over a million dollars on renovating the theater downtown? I agree strongly with the conflict of interest, when the publisher of the paper is on the newly formed Board of Tourism and is at the same time promoting a new tax on the Hotels via the advertising vehicle called the local paper. It’s time to wake up and LISTEN to what the people who pay you think and want!!!!

By concernedtaxpayer

July 1, 2009 3:00 PM | Link to this

That would be where I would start, ridding or reducing government entitlements to folks who have never done anything to earn them. This move would be the equivalent of political suicide taking into consideration the statistics of the majority of the population who voted for our current president. He gave the taxpayers in his so called stimulus the equivalent of about 33 bucks, after taxes what maybe 25 that you actually take home on a bimonthly basis (that is for individuals). He gave the welfare class (who would not have been self served to have voted Republican) almost 200 dollars a month more in benefits. There is no justice anymore. For a more utopian prosperous society each individual has to bear their own responsibility for themselves and the offspring they choose to have. We are out of money locally, statewise and more so on a national level. We all like the idea of being humanitarians and curing world hunger and fix every single problem there is on earth. Right now we cannot afford it. I don’t want my paycheck squeezed, then squeezed again at the gas pump, then squeezed again on my property taxes and if I were a smoker squeezed again and then watch our president stand up and have the audacity to say he has pledged millions of dollars to the United Nations for third world hunger, and watch Somalian pirates holding American hostages who had the misfortune of being on a ship filled with food for Africa. I am truly saddened that we are not in a position to help them, but I am angered that we are talking out loans which all of us are on the hook for to do it anyway. Death and taxes are inevitable, but taxes should only be raised as a last resort, government programs that encourage bad behaviors and are a drain on society should be the first priority round of cuts. I can get on board with paying more in taxes when I know the inmate population is only getting one or two meals a day from the taxpayers, and that we are not going to pay for every teenager or woman whose main employment is expanding their family, and when we are not doling out large sums of cash, 56,000 for a museum? Does the museum even make that much a year. The civic center and the expo center are quite talented at generating their own revenue and there is nothing overtly wrong with these two structures right at this moment so perhaps easing our burden should be more of a priority this year. When the mayor and other city and county officials do their jobs more effectively thus providing an economy in our city and county that maintains a surplus of revenue then we can start dividing up surplus budgets to business entities who might be in need of an overall boost. At the same time voters and taxpayers should pay close attention when bond issues come up at what they are voting for, what they are not telling you and is it absolutely necessary. Anytime our local geniuses try and pass something off with the “state is going to provide funding” message, take into consideration that the state sets the calculations for our property values which is how they generate revenue and though they are screaming at the top of their voice your taxes will not go up, this contradicts the reality of how will the state pay for it if your taxes do not go up? The city, the county, the state, the federal government they all get their money from us, that is the money they spend on our actual services, the money that lines their pockets is usually obtained from lobbyists, individuals and companies who buy their way in government to get what they want.

By Billy Trevathan

July 2, 2009 9:50 AM | Link to this

Every time I visit Lufkin and stay in a hotel, I complain about the heavy tax. I will probably start staying in Nac since they are cheaper and the gasoline is cheaper.

Ask yourself, does Lukin really really want people to visit or move there. I had planned to retire in Lufkin, but with the high taxes, high food cost, high cost of city service there is no way a person cxan retire in Lufkin Texas USA.

What does Lufkin have to offer, yep a bunch of restaurants, yep good medical, yep a whole bunch of attorneys. Yep you do have a small senior center. What would a person that want to retire in Lukin fine. Nothing outstanding. My family settled in Lufkin in the mid 1800’s and it was to be my home.

Sorry I can’t afford Lufkin.

By tired

July 2, 2009 7:55 PM | Link to this

Retirement community HA Ha .More like a retired community.Anybody remember the old saying Ghost town?

By Disgruntled Employee

July 6, 2009 10:36 PM | Link to this

When one man (and that man sits on the newly formed Tourism Board) has a near stranglehold on the entire hotel business in Lufkin, it’s kind of easy to get away with charging some of the highest hotel tax in the state without anyone saying anything about it. I’ve worked for the man in the past and the way he conducts business is shady at best. Telling his employees to charge a patron a higher or lower amount depending on how they’re dressed while he and the general manager hand out free rooms to their friends during a high travel weekend, leaving the front desk staff to turn away people that would’ve been potential customers and sources of cash flow to the local economy.

Mayor Gordon should take stock of how he does business in this town now that the economy is in the state that it’s in, and take stock on who he allows to have their hand dipped into local government and tourism.