Circuit of the Americas Development Updates

[Spaceman]

Hard to imagine that someone would vote not to fund this event.I knew Morrison would vote against it, Spelman also(is this guy stoned or what) but Cole was a surprise considering the area of her greatest support, east Austin, would profit greatly.

[tayser]

Originally Posted by wwmiv

25 million is really NOT that much money. To put this in perspective: The direct connectors at the 183 and 290 interchange are costing around 107 million.

I know Im quoting an ollldddd post, however the figure for Melbourne to host it is nearer $40 million AUD p/a. But that's completely outweighed by the exposure the city gets during the event and the Victorian government claims roughly $250,000,000 is pumped into the economy every year by it.

[Armybrat]

Face it, some of the more enlightened liberals on the City Council have to pander to the gasoline car-hater crowd. Plus the thought of well-heeled jet-setters crowding into town probably offends their funky "Keep Austin Weird" sensibilities.

JMHO, of course.

[MichaelB]

Originally Posted by Armybrat

Face it, some of the more enlightened liberals on the City Council have to pander to the gasoline car-hater crowd. Plus the thought of well-heeled jet-setters crowding into town probably offends their funky "Keep Austin Weird" sensibilities.

JMHO, of course.

So , let me see:

Liberal=bad.
"gasoline car-hater crowd" = bad
funky= bad
"Keep Austin Weird"= bad.

Just making sure I got that right.

[Spaceman]

Yep, Mike, you've got it right...see it's easy..

[wwmiv]

Originally Posted by MichaelB

So , let me see:

Liberal=bad.
"gasoline car-hater crowd" = bad
funky= bad
"Keep Austin Weird"= bad.

Just making sure I got that right.

No. His tone was totally different. My take:

Liberal: good.
Gasoline car-hater crowd: bad.
Funky/Keep Austin Weird: neither good nor bad, but perhaps tinged with bad.
Jet Setter: good.

[Spaceman]

I was being sarcastic...

[KevinFromTexas]

The thing is, though, Formula 1 is not the same as Nascar. It's not just about the race. It's not just a bunch of cars driving in circles burning fuel. There's a lot of scientific research that goes on behind the scenes with regards to more fuel efficient systems and better aerodynamics, engineering, stronger lightweight materials and safety systems. It's more like a research test lab and the public is invited to come see the results.

[Spaceman]

I have a feeling that someone on the council who now backs the track will flip and vote against it...This person wants to be mayor and now knows that this goal is impossible without the support of the ANC and the no-growth crowd...I hope I'm wrong but something is in the air. Spooky!!

[BevoLJ]

I gotta agree with Spaceman. I don't think it is going to make it through. I think there is just way to much politics at play here. If you were to take each council member by themselves I think it would pass easy. But with the politics involved and the likely arrival of Tovo I don't think it is going to make it through.

Hopefully F1 realizes that it needs a race in the US more than the US needs an F1 race. And this whole $25 mil mess isn't worth not being unable to get the big money F1 sponsors into US market. They have in the past shown they are willing to give up the US market, but they have never had a race or track like the one being built for this. Pulling the plug on Turkey for not being able to pay is one thing, but the US market is a whole different kinda monster that its sponsors want really badly.

[Armybrat]

Originally Posted by Spaceman

I was being sarcastic...

I wasn't.

Why else would a politician be against a potentially epic event for the city which will add much needed jobs?

I'm not a fan of the no-growth mentality.

[Spaceman]

I've lived here for forty plus years and have always been irritated by the politics of this city...But you answered your own question, albeit in reverse..The no-growth community DOES NOT want jobs in this city..back in the 70's the answer to job issues was"if young people want big employment jobs they can move to Houston or Dallas." Large employers faced tremendous hurtles to locate here...
One can never underestimate the insanity of these people...

[hookem]

I'm feeling pretty down about this upcoming vote also. I don't have any confidence that they will get the 4 votes needed... but who knows, there is a lot of money involved, maybe it will surprise us.

It's too bad the city council can't do what the US and Texas legislature do routinely -- and create resolutions for purely political purposes. For example, they could vote on a resolution against the city paying $4M to support Formula 1, then vote on another resolution authorizing the host city status if the money is paid by someone else (as the promoters are suggesting). Then each council member who wanted to could say they "voted against spending $4M of city money for Formula 1"... yet the track could still go forward and get the $25M.

Another thing I'm wondering, is if the track promoters know they will lose the vote... would they ask for it to be postponed or taken off the agenda? They'd risk giving up the Shade vote, though... as she can stay on the council for the 23rd vote even if she loses; but after the 25th she'd be off (if she loses). But then they could pursue the county or some other arrangement with the comptroller without the embarrassment of a no vote from the city.

Finally, I'd hope that those candidates who are up for reelection in November of 2012 realize that it will be a completely different election scenario than these odd-year May elections. Nov 2012 will be a presidential election, with much larger turnout, and ANC support will not be the factor it has been this year. In a huge turnout election like Nov 2012, money will be the biggest factor. Whomever can spend the most will win. So they should be thinking about that....

[Jdawgboy]

The Friends of Circuit of the Americas are telling everybody who supports Formula one to Show up at the city council meeting, they want hundreds of supporters so I urge everybody here to join me at City Hall to support formula 1 and to speak.

By the way 4 million dollars is some pretty chump change as far as city politics goes. Austin deals in much larger sums of money all the time. Fact is tax payers wont see any change as the money will be coming from Sales tax and Hotel tax. People who are making a big deal over this are just plain ANTI growth period. They don't care about all the benefits, they don't care about the economic impact.

One last note of advice, send direct e-mails to the council members, all of them... Don't send by mass e-mail, send one by one and address them by their name in the letter. That makes a much stronger impression.

[hookem]

But most importantly, vote for Shade! The outcome of that election, if favorable for her (or even closing the gap significantly), would go the longest way towards making an impression on the council.

[Armybrat]

On a related note:

F1 racetrack billionaire promoter Bernie Ecclestone's daughter just purchased the most expensive home in America from the widow of Hollywood producer Aaron Spelling:

http://realestate.yahoo.com/promo/uk...e-mansion.html

On another related note - the nephew of the late Spelling (who was from Dallas) lives in Austin and is a graduate of UT.

[Spaceman]

I am surprised that the original proponents of the track have been strangely quiet lately...Red McCombs, Gov. Perry, and Susan Combs are either working in the background or know something the public doesn't about the future of the project....It's not a coincidence the crazy Dan Patrick, a vocal opponent of the track, went after Susan Combs on a diffenent matter.Something about the release of names on the state records. I should know more about this but it doesn't seem that important...Patrick wants to keep Combs occupied so she can't put much effort into the track...I may be wrong on this but...............................probably not.!!!

[KevinFromTexas]

Originally Posted by Armybrat

On a related note:

F1 racetrack billionaire promoter Bernie Ecclestone's daughter just purchased the most expensive home in America from the widow of Hollywood producer Aaron Spelling:

http://realestate.yahoo.com/promo/uk...e-mansion.html

On another related note - the nephew of the late Spelling (who was from Dallas) lives in Austin and is a graduate of UT.

This was just on the "news". Access Hollywood just did a story on it. No mention of Austin, but they did say who Eccelstone is.

[Spaceman]

Until my paranoia subsides I have realized another possible foe to the COTA track...The University of Texas..I have a friend who was in management for the RR Express...He told me numerous times about the cold should UT gave the Express...The relationship became so bad that there was virtually no communication between the two parties...The reason was simple. Families have a finite amount of $$$ to allocate towards entertainment, i.e., sports..The odd thing about this was that other than the college baseball playoffs, which UT always seems to make and a few weeks in September's early football season, there is no overlap..
Possibly UT sees the $$ a family would set aside to go to a UT game could be spent at COTA...Many families could not afford both..The conflict would be especially obvious if the race were moved to the fall..Certainly a game and the race would not be scheduled for the same weekend but the battle for the $$$ wouldn't be limited by the calendar..
UT carries a tremendous amount of weight at City Hall.

[hookem]

Have you seen the name of the business school at UT?

I don't think they would mess with the F1 track. However, NASCAR/Texas Motor Speedway could be enemies... maybe they are funding Tovo and some of the opposition groups?