I know it may be semantics to some...but it's a huge difference when a City "contributes" money versus "invests" it.
And we saw it again last week in a news story in Columbus Business First: "The Columbus City Council approved the city’s $6.44 million contribution to the convention and visitor’s bureau’s 2012 budget at a meeting Monday night. Last year, the city contributed $5.4 million to Experience Columbus."
If that's the way the Council viewed it, who am I to complain? But I'm guessing that is far from why the Council appropriated over $6 million dollars to its DMO. Without being there for the vote, I'm quite sure they expect a Return-on-Investment for these dollars.
The challenge we all face is that today's cash-strapped media is employing less sophisticated reporters (like the one that thought the Wisconsin State flag was a union banner). Which means that we all have a responsibility to educate the people who the populace expects to educate them.
Otherwise, our news media will continue to tell stories that are hardly accurate.
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