Bill Geist's Zeitgeist

Never Mind

All that anxiety over the new Department of Labor's ruling regarding pay and overtime?

Fuhgeddaboudit ... At least for now.

A Federal court has issued an injunction to temporarily stop the Department from implementing the new rules while more study goes into the unintended consequences that would have resulted. 

According to Madison-area labor attorney Jessica Kramer, this halt is only temporary. However, given the uncertainty of the next administration's policies, we all need to keep our eye on this one.

Size Isn't the Issue

A small Destination Marketing Organization in Texas is currently petitioning its City Council to allow it to change up its governance structure. The reason? The current 12-member Advisory Board hasn't met in two years for lack of quorum. And, quorum for this Board is (are you ready?)...five.

That's right. Five of 12 business and community leaders couldn't be bothered to show up for a meeting for 24 months.

The DMO Director is proposing to reduce the size of the Board to 7 so that it will be easier to make the proposed new quorum of 4.

Which will only work if the entire Board is replaced. Because, I'm sorry, this isn't about size. It's about engagement.

Which the current Board clearly isn't.

It's Working...So, Let's Stop

By virtually any measure one could devise, Florida Tourism is on fire. And, a lot of that is due to VisitFlorida, the public private partnership that promotes the State around the world. The number of visitors to the Sunshine State is up 29% since 2009.

But, good deeds never go unpunished. And, the incoming Speaker of the House believes those numbers are about to drop.

I'm not sure what he is basing that opinion on...but, he hopes we'll all just go with it.

So, his response to this self-imagined decrease is to cut funding for VisitFlorida.

Huh?

When business is down, you increase marketing to compensate...not vacate the market to allow South Carolina, Alabama and Georgia to eat your lunch.

He's a lawyer...so he's good with pretty words and unsophisticated rationales. But, it's clear the Speaker doesn't understand how tourism marketing works.

I'm pretty sure State marketers around the country can barely control their glee...

Thank You for Loving Me

Before we turn Music Fridays to "Holiday Beast Mode," it's the day after Thanksgiving "Thank You" song.

This weekend, "Lock the doors. We'll leave the world outside."

It's Bon Jovi's "Thank You for Loving Me."

Thank You

For your friendship. For your trust. For your laughter. For your passion. For your innovation. For turning us on to the best of your destinations. For enabling us to live this amazing life while helping many of you realize new opportunities.

Thank you. We are blessed to have such friends.

Now...go hug and kiss your family and friends around the Thanksgiving table. Put aside your differences and call a moratorium on drama (we've had quite enough, as of late).

And be thankful for the lives we lead.

Honestly...it so beats the alternative.

It's All About the Story

It's what makes the Pure Michigan spots so evocative. They're not just "Tourism" commercials. They are glimpses of  "Quality of Life." And they draw both visitors and investors to want to know more.

That's also what's at work in the latest Rockford IL video from our friends at Graham-Spencer. And, it works in exactly the opposite way. It's a workforce development video for the Economic Development Council...that so works for attracting visitors.

And, this EDC video encourages viewers to...

Wait for it...

Visit the Destination Marketing Organization's website.

As it should.

Nailed it.

What's Wrong with This Picture?

So much that, after this post, I'll likely never work in Springfield OH. And, that's OK...because what's going on there is a learning moment for the rest of us.

Like many municipalities that didn't plan very well, Springfield is facing a budget shortage. The City attempted a referendum to increase the local income tax, which appears to have failed by 55 votes...with 800 absentee ballots yet to be counted.

Say what? Is everyone in the City Clerk's Office a volunteer? It's been two weeks, people! Would it be too hard to count those ballots before suggesting $1.5 million in cuts...one of which would eliminate one of the only investments that actually returns tax dollars to the City?

But, assuming the absentee votes split exactly the way those cast on election night broke, there's a shortfall that needs to be addressed.

So, City staff is suggesting whacking its Destination Marketing Organization. Or, taking it in house to save money (but lose expertise and efficiency). Yeah...that makes sense (said no one who has ever professionally done this work, ever).

The Mayor is reported to have said that it’s hard not to trim tourism dollars when police and fire services will be cut ("the average citizen cares a lot more about police and fire than tourism"). And, I must ask (again), why is it always Tourism vs. Police and Fire? That's simply not fair. There all all kinds of things the City could cut that don't include public safety. Somebody call Dave, stat. 

Hey, I get that Springfield is struggling. But, eliminating the agency that helps drive revenues into City coffers, creates and maintains jobs and introduces potential investors to the community makes absolutely no sense.

Well, at least not to people with clue of how the economy works.

 

Leon

He had more hair than virtually any performer I can remember. And, for much of his career, it was white.

But, Leon Russell had his fingerprints on a ton of rock, blues and jazz classics during his amazing run as one of America's most original composers, performers and session masters. Wikipedia records 31 albums and 430 songs.

His hits aside...I always found his album tracks to be more satisfying. We featured one a few weeks ago. And on this Music Friday, we offer another: "One More Love Song."

But...the true classic is "A Song For You," performed by Leon, Willie and Ray in 2003. Simply sublime.

RIP, Leon. 

Post-Election Humor

Larry the Cable Guy often follows a potentially offensive punch line with, "I don't care who you are, that there is funny."

Well, I don't care who you voted for...a new set of Twitter posts are hilarious.

Based upon the shenanigans that sometimes occur when a President is getting ready to depart the White House (like Clinton aides that removed all the "Ws" from keyboards before President Bush arrived), these memes star Joe Biden as a master of chicanery in the preparation for a new President.

And, to continue watching the frivolity, follow Josh Billinson (@JBillinson).

It's About Priorities

Five or six years ago, a small rural community with a larger than life historical site stopped investing in destination marketing...on the eve of the sesquicentennial of the Civil War, no less.

Since then, the community has begun to slowly re-enter the field and, just last month, a number of business interests got together as an advisory committee to apply for a State grant to fund a website and some video. And, bravo to them.

One of the people involved in the effort was quoted to have said, "When you’re in a small town, you have limited resources for things like this.”

With all due respect...no. No you don't. The people making budgetary decisions for the community could find the resources, if it were important enough.

Sadly, to them, it still isn't.