LET SPRINGFIELD BE A WARNING TO THE REST OF US

Springfield, MA was a once busy hub of manufacturing and innovation that has become a city of decay and offers a glimpse of what is happening to the country at large as the government moves to become larger and employ or subsidise a higher percentage of the general population.

Cities like Springfield have been managed with a short term view as politicians worked to better themselves and the few who helped get them elected for the time that they are in office with little concern for the long term affect of policy. There will be no unpopular decisions made about budget cuts and layoffs, no matter how bad the economy gets. Nothing seems to get done in terms of facing the city's problems with crime and education. The city budget will only increase as taxpaying citizens leave the city for the safety of the suburbs.

The examples of moves that were bad for the city, but good for a politically connected few are many. While any one thing can't shoulder the total blame, a combination of many things can be pointed to as the cause and reason that the future is not bright for working families and small businesses. They will continue to be replaced by government funded agencies and people.

The issue becomes, the largest employer in the city is the government. The city, state and federal government provide the best paying jobs and offer unsustainable pension benefits. Government and quasi-government agencies are being created and occupying commercial property and office buildings that are no longer viable as tax paying properties. Many of these buildings are being bought by non-profit enterprises and being taken off of the tax role. The tax rate increases for the shrinking number of properties owned by for-profit companies and entrepreneurs. This has caused a growing number of businesses and investors to leave the city and move to suburban locations that are safer for their employees and more business friendly. The city government has developed an adversarial relationship with existing private businesses. Partly because the few that are left behind are forced to bear the burden of  paying for a bloated local government with an eroding commercial tax base.

These conditions are being glossed over with Hospitals expanding and Federal Stimulas money being used to finance improvements to Union Station and other non tax paying properties. Don't be fooled by this, none of this money is being spent to improve propeties that pay taxes. Very little of the major improvements to any property is currently being done using private money. Private investment has all but dried up. If you doubt this, list the "Private" companies that have been started in Springield recently or have relocated to the city. Now list the companies that have left the city or closed their doors altogether.

Unfortunatly this economic model is a micro version of where the country itself is heading. The more Springfields that this country has to support, the closer we come to financial ruin. There aren't enough people working in private business to support all of those that work for or are supported by the government. In the very near future the borrowing to maintain this level of spending will have to stop.

Great minds discuss ideas;
Average minds discuss events;
Small minds discuss other people.
Eleanor Roosevelt

I consider myself an idea guy..

Biometric Bouncer Informational Video

This video was produced for Enhanced Biometrics @ the Skyplex.

The Biometric Bouncer has gone through over a year and a half of development and is now ready for distribution.

http://www.biometricbouncer.com/

Paramount to Hippodrome...Before and after

We Purchased the Paramount Theater in August of 1999. We renovated through 2000 and opened the Hippodrome in December of 2000

Here are some Before and after Pictures

The old sign was removed in the fall of 2000

The new sign went up in December of 2000

Here is a view of the Main Hallway behind the Main Bar Before renovations

Here is a similar view after

This next series of pictures is the construction of the sound booth and VIP Balconey

located on either side of the stage

The next few photos are completed pictures from December of 2000

Economic Impact From Entertainment

For a while now, supporters of the Hippodrome and Skyplex and the entertainment concept we successfully brought to Downtown Springfield have encouraged me to get the word out about the economic impact of these venues for Greater Springfield.

When I finally sat down and took a look at the last eight years of events and concerts, from Three Doors Down, Godsmack,and The Black Crows to Cirque de Soliel acts and Charity Boxing matches, I was amazed to realize that Hippodrome and Skyplex have pumped more than $22 million directly into the area’s economy.

The photos of our restoration of the Paramount and metamorphosis into The Hippodrome from previous blog posts are worth a million words.

Until we launched our vision of what entertainment in Downtown could be, the original Paramount Theatre was boarded up and closed. The stage had been dark for years and the facility was producing and contributing nothing; no taxes, no jobs, no unique entertainment niche in The Valley.

Some recent news reports about back taxes owed on the Hippodrome have created some speculation about the future.

Soon, those taxes will be paid, like the millions we have paid since we re-opened the Paramount’s shuttered doors and created The Hippodrome. In fact, the current tax bill is significantly less than the outstanding tax bill we inherited and paid in full when we first re-opened the facility.

Watch this space closely over the next few weeks and months for exciting news about our plans and how we hope to again be a catalyst for a revolutionary Downtown revitalization.

Recap of activity for the years Years 1999-2009

Total amount paid for police details by rain/skyplex and hippodrome
$ 1,093,000

Total expense incurred by rain/skyplex, hippodrome
and paramount realty for real estate taxes, permits & fees
Payable to City of Springfield
1,019,000

Payroll wages paid excluding ownership for rain/skyplex
and hippodrome
$ 5,600,000

Amount locally spent on construction trades including
painting and restoration of skyplex and hippodrome
$ 4,375,000

Rain/skyplex expenditures pumped back into economy
$ 8,200,000

Hippodrome expenditures pumped back into economy
$ 14,152,000

Total dollars skyplex/rain and hippodrome spent back into economy
$ 23,352,000

Benefit to local economy generated from purchases of meals,
hotel rooms, parking, gas etc. by skyplex/rain and hippodrome
customers while visiting downtown springfield
20 to 40 million dollars

Number of patrons of skyplex/rain and hippodrome
more than 2 million

Number of license violations from day one at both entertainment venues combined
Zero (0)