WA Ping
This is a perfect example of politics trumping common sense. Only a liberal democrat would shut down the catalyst for bringing dollars into the state while continuing funding useless social programs that have proven useless time and time again.
Liberal Democrats are good for nothing.
I'll go to states that offer something of value for my tourist dollar.
Silly you..local Dems are just trying to keep Kucinich from visiting anymore.
Should cut funding of all State ferries. Sell them.
“the only U.S. state no longer spending money to attract visitors.”
Good. Promoting tourism should be left to the private sector. If you own a motel in a resort area, or you’re a fishing guide or you run a tour bus, print some pamphlets and advertise.
Back in the ‘80s when I still lived in California, I took the family up to British Columbia. Stopped off at the Oregon Welcome Center where they wanted to charge me 50c for a state map, crying poor mouth. I compared this to Louisiana, where they had free maps and a welcome cup of coffee. Then they hit us $2.00 extra at the state parks because I was from out of state. Filled up just enough gas to get us outta there and made sure I tanked up in Washington so I could make it through Oregon without refueling.
Now Washington defunds the tourism office. They never learn. Whenever they open, I expect to see ‘em charging for maps and maybe even brochures. Glad I left that whole area in ‘88.
Needs more Monorail. /s
So, either the tourism office was making the State money and these guys are pinheads, or the tourism office was never making any money and should never have been funded and these guys are pinheads. Either way, I see them as pinheads.
same old story....don’t want to cut wages, or bennies, or pensions for the precious govt class...
Heck...I wanted to have them closed when they brought out that idiotic “Say WA” tourism campaign a couple years ago.
If defunding them, cuts down on state gay pride event advertising, dumb and embarrassing publicity campaigns, I can live with it.
The Legislature already took a pretty anti-tourism approach with keeping certain hospitality taxes from sunsetting after they pay off bonds, for requiring a $10/day or $30/year pass to use a state park or park a car on state land, for stopping sales tax exemptions on out of state residents purchasing within the state, etc. So again, this is just one of many things that the legislature considered and then enacted.
I agree that tourism is potential revenue source and an important one for a struggling economy. If you read the Irish IMF proposal for how they will use their bailout funds and what kind of reforms they will implement, boosting tourism is a focal point.
However, with high gas taxes, and all the other things that the Legislature did, I see a real focus on "spending cut" prioritization absent any examination of revenue impact, as is clear from the Governors statement.
Oh noes, how will anyone figure out how to find a hotel in the state of Washington without the guvmint tourist office to guide them?
That's what I call a good start.
There has been a funding bump in the Tijuana visit Seattle office.
The operative words were “Democrat Governor.”
In states with Republican governors, the spending decisions are NOT shutting down anything other than wasteful spending and liberal programs. Shutting down police, fire, parks or other things beneficial to citizens is not happening. Only Democrats are using this as a political weapon to beat down opposition for cutting taxes and spending.
Any two million she can save is a good idea to me.
When was the last time you decided to visit someplace because of the state tourism office?