In reference to a post on here a while ago, I have been asking some questions on Philip Morris' blog regarding his "Who do I bill" blog entry that he posted a while ago. I find it interesting that Philip Morris has come directly out and stated that Proctors will never be good enough where it can survive on its own.
9. Mr. Morris, In regards to your remarks, #7: (For clarity, this amount is not from county property taxes but is from a bed tax……a tax on the use of hotel rooms, many of which Proctors drives.
Comment by Philip Morris — August 10th, 2011 @ 9:27 am)
Are you stating that the amount of tax money that is taken in that the county pays to Proctors is not from county property taxes? If that is the case, then I ask you this, if the money brought in from ” a tax on the use of hotel rooms, many of which Proctors drives,” was not collected, where would these people be spending that money? I would say that it would most likely be at businesses in or around the Schenectady area.
Why is it that we need the government to decide who the winners and losers are going to be?
Why not let the actual people, you know, the people who are spending the money?
Also, the amount is directly in the county budget, so we could go back and forth for a long time debating if it’s the people staying in the hotel rooms or the actual homeowners in the county that are paying this amount, getting nowhere.
How much more money do you think it will take from bed taxes or the residents of Schenectady County before Proctors can stand on it’s own, not on the backs of the residents and businesses? (By the way, the hotels / motels should think about this too, since it is currently a fee that their customers pay, through them, directly to you.)
Comment by Kevin March — August 12th, 2011 @ 11:36 pm
10. Kevin, it’s fair to ask the question, though the answer may not please you. As it is, Proctors earns, through sales of one kind or another, over 85% of it’s budget. The remaining 15% comes from the bed tax, a small amount from the New York State Council on the Arts, and the gifts of over 2,500 patrons
That puts us near the top of the scale of performing arts centers in the United States for the level of our earned revenue.
In one way, we could argue that these gifts ARE, in fact, people deciding what they want to do. But to your question, Proctors, nor any other arts center in America, will not ever stand on it’s own as you mean it.
Then the question becomes, is Schenectady better off with a regional institution bringing 600,000 people a year to it’s downtown or, for the public investment savings of $200,000 dollars, financed largely by visitors, which might reduce by half if this happened, should Proctors be closed because it cannot stand on it’s own?
Your answer may be different than mine to this question. It may be different than the majority of Schenectadians’.
Comment by Philip Morris — August 13th, 2011 @ 11:48 am
I wonder, what do the majority of Schenectadians think on the fact of all the money that we have given Proctors over the years?
As usual Mercury Morris makes up facts. Proctor's does not "drive" hotel occupancy. Most of their performers stay in Colonie. If that was true why did The Parker Inn go belly up? The 600,000 patrons figure is also wildly inflated. I heard the same rhetoric about being in the minority during the first library addition debacle. Then the entire plan collapsed because no one supported it.
People are starting to waking up that this "arts" largess is not sustainable. Morris refuses to cut back and has increased his footprint now running a flop coffeehouse, {that doesn't take in $50 a day} and empty caterer hall where Key Bank once was. Keep asking questions Kevin the nonsensical answers are priceless.
The majority of the folks that come to proctors are 'bused in and immediately bused out'!!
As far as proctors..........raise the ticket prices and anything else proctor's sells by the percentage that is paid for by the already over burdened tax payers. Let the 'enthusiastic' patrons who use and support proctors/arts, pay for it. Let it be a 'choice'. Ya know....pay to play?
If proctors is so valuable, I'm sure the folks who frequent the place will pay the hike in price to keep it up and running so they can see their favorite broadway show or any other entertainment. . OH....and private donations are also acceptable. Because it is a 'choice'.
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
I would like to see some real numbers from real businesses after Proctor's has a big show. We saw an article that provided somebody's wild guess right after Lion King but how about some real figures from Open Door, Aperitivo (is that still there?) whatever. We all know people who come in for a show and perhaps spend a few dollars here, but the hotels, food, etc. for the cast and crew, somebody has that real data somewhere, why not put it out there? I'm tired of hearing about some entity, such as Union College, being touted as "good for Schenectady" and then not being shown concrete data t back itup. What is "good for Schenectady" is all the longtime taxpaying residents. Why can't we see some of the "good"? We are none of us anti-Proctor's, we just question this giant, tax exempt thing it has become.
Heck, it costs less to catch a bus tour to NYC to see the real Broadway shows at a Broadway theater, and you can relax on a bus and probably spend a good part of the day visiting the city too.
This Morris guy is one of the greediest on this earth.
If he thinks he needs more money, why doesn't he cut his salary? Oh now, getting over $200,000 thanks to the theft from the taxpayers in order to subsidize the theater, that's a necessity in his mind.
How come SLOC and Schdy Civil Playhouse have existed a lot longer than Proctors and they don't have a rich CEO nor violates the law with two STAR exemptions?
Optimists close their eyes and pretend problems are non existent. Better to have open eyes, see the truths, acknowledge the negatives, and speak up for the people rather than the politicos and their rich cronies.
We are none of us anti-Proctor's, we just question this giant, tax exempt thing it has become.
Oh yes some of us 'are' anti-proctors as it presently does business. It has taken how many properties off the tax roll? Howmuch is being supported by the already over burdened taxpayers? How much cash was taken in the robbery? The taxpayers can not shoulder the tax base with so many non-profits and businesses on the 'tax exempt roll'!!! DUH!
And as a side note...........The businesses down town are hanging on by a thread. They make a few bucks more when proctors has something going on. But it is clearly not enough to keep them going! Just ask them for yourselves!!
And Madam, you will only get those answers to your questions when there is a changing of the guards in city hall!! Then perhaps they will name the TU the official news paper!!!
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
I'm all for the 'fine arts' and 'painting the world beautiful'....but folks cant eat oil paints or acryllic paints or live off the popcorn and treats at a show....there's a reason for the saying "starving artist".....life exists and it ain't always purple skies and butterflies but it IS life even without the 'painting'---something you or I can't make for someone else.....
...you are a product of your environment, your environment is a product of your priorities, your priorities are a product of you......
The replacement of morality and conscience with law produces a deadly paradox.
STOP BEING GOOD DEMOCRATS---STOP BEING GOOD REPUBLICANS--START BEING GOOD AMERICANS
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As usual Mercury Morris makes up facts. Proctor's does not "drive" hotel occupancy. Most of their performers stay in Colonie. If that was true why did The Parker Inn go belly up? The 600,000 patrons figure is also wildly inflated. I heard the same rhetoric about being in the minority during the first library addition debacle. Then the entire plan collapsed because no one supported it. 
