The dialogue continued yesterday, with a few informative twists. Longtime downtowner PL wrote:
You're right on the money. Most of the people who don't understand what the fuss is all about only are here for booth days and have no idea the economic toll it takes on downtown businesses, and how the Orange Shirt Nazis treat business investors like crap. I'm waiting on an answer for what city ordinance allows for a 501c to take control of public streets. The city pays thousands for security and additional clean up while HH takes in over a $250,000 a year and claims they don't have any money. According to the form 990 they file, all but $25,000 is disbursed as "expenses". Downtown has changed, and it's time HH makes some changes as well. All the business owners just get lip service every year and nothing happens.
Remember Jeff Cummins? He's the "head honcho" of Harvest Homecoming, who recently took to the non-local newspaper to offer his own top-down reform plan: "I want to try and get downtown merchants to understand what the festival is all about."
As yesterday's discussion began unfolding at Facebook, Cummins abruptly appeared.
Do not speak about what you do not know as being fact. Speculation makes one a fool.
The back and forth on social media, 3rd party conversations and assumptions accomplish nothing. Go direct to whom you have the issue and discuss it face to face.
Don't play games, it's wasted unproductive time spent. Ask the question.
And so I asked it.
I have a serious question, which I meant to ask at the Board of Works earlier today (in the end, I couldn't make it to the meeting). In the past, I've observed HH officials telling people that they could not distribute handbills amid the booth area. Now, it seems to me that this is perfectly legal -- freedom of expression, if you will. Does anyone (Jeff Cummins or otherwise) know if HH can do this?
In effect, Cummins answered my question by refusing to answer such questions from upstarts like me.
Not going to debate on here. You have a large tendency to misconstrue what is said to suit your needs.
Hmm.
While HH may not be the Illuminati, attitudes like these expressed by the "head honcho" himself hardly bode well when it comes to dissidents being invited to come share new ideas with the management.
It's as Jeff Gillenwater subsequently explained:
HH is well aware of what the concerns are. They've been taken to HH and City leadership many times over. Why would Cummins have specifically mentioned the need to straighten out downtown business perceptions in the article were he not aware of their oft communicated concerns? Rather than address those concerns in any sort of meaningful way, though, HH officials simply insist that they must be restated anew or presented in some different way or place or some other such demand. It's an exercise of power in a poor attempt to prove they don't have any. They have no fear of ever being pressed to answer questions and concerns because City officials have continually reinforced the notion that they don't have to. Thus, we get the passive-aggressive, presidential display here.
Another regular reader chose to strike at the probable heart of the HH matter in an e-mail.
Why not begin agitating for a class-action-style lawsuit amongst the downtown merchants against HH, based on their charging local businesses access to their store fronts during the party? That cannot possibly be legal and if enough merchants put in a hundred or a couple hundred, you could get a good attorney (obviously someone from out of town) to take them to court and at least get the community talking.
Obviously there are other concerns: public safety, local restaurants cannot distribute their menus to the general public, access issues, etc.
Just a thought. At least, in court, you'd get answers.
That's what I'm thinking, too.
And I bet we wouldn't even have to go out of town for a good attorney.
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