City leaders fast-track Visit Duluth-DECC merger

Great article. Of course it will be approved. The hospitality industry (i.e tourism) has conned the City into allocating significant tax dollars for Visit Duluth in order to do their marketing for them. They are literally the marketing arm of the lowest paid industry (tourism) in Duluth, all on the public dime. Does any of this money address this issue or promote entrepreneurship for industry employees to move to ownership or equity positions? Has there been any cost/benefit analysis of what real effect these dollars have on encouraging spending by folks from outside of Duluth?

Looking more like another summer of shutdowns for 2021. Duluth seems to be rearranging the deck chairs.

What’s the huge hurry? Has a merger and acquisition attorney looked into the plan?

This sounds like a Vegas wedding, fuelled by mind-altering substances and desperate optimism. How do those usually work out?

So the shoe is on the other foot for Mr. Ness. Isn’t this how he ran the City–develop big vision ideas behind closed doors, get others to support it, then roll it out to the public, the predetermined projects already moving forward? If you stood up to them, then you were the bad guy. I agree with Ness on this one, though, even though it is his status quo method.

The other thing that is VERY troubling, why was that past DECC director removed and replaced with Roger? Could it be related to this “big” move? Did she push back for some excellent reasons? I wonder what she would say about this if able to.

Visit Duluth is supposed to promote all the attractions in Duluth. They barely did this equitably for those that paid their fees before (I could go into that but not in this space). What other examples in the region have this model? Are they successful? Why even do this? Sink or swim on your own comes to mind.

Doesn’t the state need to weigh in on this?

Sure, it’s good to explore options, but when you have a tight timeline, that says enough for me that something is afoot and needs transparency.

Great piece John, glad to see you got fired up again!