When will they ever learn?
Since May 20 -- that's 28 days tomorrow -- the St. Johns County Visitor and Convention Bureau, Inc. has been "stonewalling it," never providing a copy of its Antitrust and Civil Rights Compliance Policies, or anything else.
Wonder why?
At a May 14, 2013 meeting, in the presence of 100 witnesses, in a county-owned Convention Center, St. Johns County tourism promotion contractor SJCVCB, Inc. and its consultant, Dr. Peter Yesawich of multinational consultant MMGY, disgraced themselves by:
A. Pricing discussions in violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act --Yesawich recommended price increases (see articles and letters, below); and
B. Elitist racist, homophobic "Jim Crow: marketing that leaves out Miami, African-Americans, GLBT people, youth and eschews the lowest 50% of American income earners, violating the Fair Housing laws of the United States of America, the State of Florida, and the Cities of St. Augustine and St. Augustine Beach.
We've got only 59% average motel occupancy here in St. Johns County, but VCB's effete corps of anti-intellectual snobs continue targetting rich white golfers, with offensive racially-targetted literature wiht 199 images of white people, zero Native Americans, four apparent Hispanics (including actor Chad Light playing Ponce de Leon), and eleven African-Americans (mostly happy slaves).
We're not playing to our strengths -- this is the first cultural melting pot in America -- the first Hispanics, first Catholics, first African-Americans (free and slave) and first Jews arrived here on September 8, 1565. VCB does not advertise this history, or even understand it, it seems.
Welcome to 1953 St. Augustine, Florida -- it's like no one at VCB has heard that St. Augustine and St. Augustine Beach have adopetd Fair Housing ordinances, unanimously, in 2012 and 2013..
June 17th marks the 41st annivesary of the Watergate burglary. Richard Nixon and other dangerous Republicans subverted our democracy.
Our democracy here in St. Johns County is being subverted, in Nixonian fashion, by Republican appointees to the Visitor and Convention Bureau and their international advertising agencies -- they seemingly don't give a fig about our history, our rights and our culture, who take government funds for a government function and stiff the public when we ask for records pertinent to illegal price-fixing meetings and discrimination.
Our local officials serving on VCB are not even allowed to vote. Why?
It's our money. We want to see our documents.
We want to hear the truth.
Is that too much to ask?
What are the Antitrust and Civil Rights Compliance policies of the VCB (if any):?
What is the history of discussions of Jim Crow marketing, which continues to leave off Miami, even as we celebrate the 500th anniversary of Spanish Florida, and 450th anniversary of St. Augustine?
Whar are the records of VCB meetings where competitors engage in anticompetitive practices?
Healing requires full compliance with Open Records and Sunshine laws.
Healing requires an end to price-fixing discussions at VCB meetings, or anywhere else.
Healing requires diversity marketing, and no more Fair Housing violations.
It's our money. It's our time. It's our town.
If VCB won't come clean, respond to Open Records and answer questions, then:
A. St. Johns County must cancel its contract with VCB for material breach;
B. St Johns County and local governments should spend the 4% bed tax money directly, instead of through hired hands who lack vision, experience and common sense (VCB's contract expires September 30, 2013 at 11:59 PM);
C. Our State's Attorney, R.J. Larizza (see below) must exercise his prosecutorial discretion and consider prosecuting VCB Executive Director Richard Goldman for violating our Florida Open Records laws.
What do you reckon?
VCB Executive Director Richard Goldman
St. Johns County Attorney Patrick McCormack
(His new nickname should be "Delay")
Oversees $500 million annual budget, allows VCB to violate Open Records law
$18 million St. Johns County Administration Palace (a/k/a Taj Mahal), location of June 17, 2013 meeting of the Tourist Development Council (1:30 PM)
$16.9 million St. Johns County Convention Center,
scene of possible May 14, 2013 antitrust crimes
involving recommendation to increase prices in possible violation of
Sherman Antitrust Act
(as well as prejudiced discussion of refusal to advertise to Miami, African-Americans, GLBT people, youth and the lower 50% of American income-earners -- possible violations of local and federal Fair Housing laws)
Antitrust crime scene?
Watergate crime scene
Watergate crime scene
"Keep asking questions."
What do you reckon?
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