"The lowest bid was 80 percent higher than the engineering estimate."

From the SN-L story about the signs:"The lowest bid was 80 percent higher than the engineering estimate.

Nah, I ain't EVEN goin' there.

I ain't goin' here either: (Oh heck, I will, but just for a little bit)

From the SN-L story:"Citing state economic development statistics, he (Deaver) said Springfield generated $4 billion in sales for a city with 69,000 homes."

And the signs will increase this amount?

Then let's direct signs to Car dealers, appliance showrooms, furniture stores.

I am sure the Thompson boys would be interested in having a sign, paid for by the city, directing travellers to their Cadillac dealership. Especially seeing as how "The City" took care of them via eminent domain

How does the number of homes in Springfield causally or even casually relate to the amount of sales in the city?

Where does that $4,000,000,000.00 come fro? Does all of that $4,000,000,000.00 in sales generate sales tax revenue?

If there are no signs, will that amount decrease?

I'm betting it will--but the decrease in sales tax revenue for the city will not be because of the signs.

Why, even with the signs up I predict sales tax revenue will decrease. I don't have to be a city manager to know that.

And this tidbit from the CVB: Springfield is expecting 10,000 visitors in March for the National Home School Basketball Tournament.

WHAT? A Home School Basketball Tournament? Where do they practice? In their driveway? Where do they hold their games? At the park?

The signs may be a good idea but now is not the time for them. Councilman Chiles echoed my sentiments when he said "...jobs, health care, energy and availability of food will become more pressing issues for the community."

Carlson, Deaver, Collette and Wylie will be off the Council in April. Why did they attach so much importance to this project that it couldn't have waited for the new council? Perhaps because those four and others knew that it wouldn't fly with the new council.

There is no way to measure how many people the signs will draw to Springfield, just as there is no way to measure how much of our sales tax revenue comes from out of towners.

The only tax we know out of towners pay is the hotel/motel tax.

Council's track record--remember the parking garages?