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    • Hotel Group Backs Ballpark Tax Save Email Print
    Posted: 11:36 AM May 14, 2008
     Last Updated: 11:36 AM May 14, 2008
    37 comments
    A | A | A

    The Metropolitan Hospitality Association is backing an increase in the hotel tax that exceeds the mayor's proposal to help pay for a new baseball stadium.

    A news release issued Wednesday morning states that, "After thorough evaluation, the Metropolitan Hospitality Association (MHA) is throwing its support behind a 1.5% increase in the hotel tax to help fund a downtown stadium. Omaha Mayor Mike Fahey’s stadium plan calls for a 1% increase, MHA believes an additional .5% is necessary to increase the funding of the Omaha Convention and Visitors Bureau’s promotion of the city. The .5% is not intended to replace the city’s current contribution.

    “In order to make a downtown stadium a successful addition to the hospitality community, MHA believes it is imperative a funding mechanism be included to help bolster the promotion of Omaha as a destination” said MHA President Robert Watson. “The Omaha Convention and Visitors Bureau is making great progress promoting the city with very a limited budget, we will support an increase in the hotel tax and the additional revenue for the OCVB.” adds Watson.

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    Posted by: Lori on May 19, 2008 at 02:49 PM
    I put quotation marks around "civic center" AS sarcasm, meaning the Qwest is just a fancier Civic Auditorium. I have attended at Qwest and frankly am NOT impressed. Definitely not a top 10 venue when compared to others in the country. And apparently you also missed the news story on legislation introduced in the Unicam last winter to allow "certain cities" to be able to annex over county lines. Gee, anyone wonder what "certain city" was in mind when it was introduced by a state senator who is also a long-time Fahey supporter? The story was on this very website...
    Posted by: Jake on May 18, 2008 at 01:14 PM
    You Fahey supporters and your "blind" support of him are laughable!
    Posted by: Andy on May 18, 2008 at 08:54 AM
    Lori sounds like another uneducated person of the vocal minority. First she thinks Fahey is going to name the stadium after himself? Seriously? Where did you get that idea? Second she laughs at a billboard outside of the Qwest. Like anyone watching a televised event realizes there's a billboard outside, or those who walk from downtown to the Qwest. Third she calls it a civic center. Yeah, the comparisons between the Qwest and the Civic are tremendous (sarcasm). Fourth she tells him good luck in annexing Plattsmouth? Again seriously? Do you have any idea what the annexing laws are? If you do, then you'd realize Omaha can't annext Plattsmouth, because it's in a different county. The more I read the complaints about people regarding this issue, the more I realize they are full of hot-air. There hasn't been a real coherent thought from the "No Progress" crowd since day 1, and every single one of their predictions has fallen flat. I think it's time you move onto somthing else!
    Posted by: Lori on May 17, 2008 at 11:51 PM
    I just hope our property tax evaluation doesn't triple before the first pitch is served at Fahey's Folley. And if he wants to name the stadium after himself, he better "pony up." He himself said naming rights would run in the millions. Get out your checkbook, Mike...either we let you have it or the City Council awards you the privilege...either way all of you lose your jobs next election. And you can forget about Cox...they let Qwest have the naming rights to the new "Civic Center" and the most hilarious billboard in Omaha is the one crossing from Qwest Center to North Freeway..."Leaving Qwest? Go with COX." Scramble all you like for money, Mike, we're out of your jurisdiction in 4 years. Good luck annexing PLATTSMOUTH.
    Posted by: FAHEY_BOY on May 17, 2008 at 08:31 PM
    Fahey is scrambling trying to find funds for the new stadium. He doesn;t get it. Most people don't have money to waste like he does. He has no clue how the average person lives. I would expect that most put of town CWS fans will stay in Council Bluffs. Fahey has taken funds from the Sewer and park funds, but has been able to cover it up so far. A reporter needs to investigate this. Why are the city services struggling because of limited funds, and Fahey only cares about the new ballpark that will be named Fahey Stadium,
    Posted by: Night Auditor on May 16, 2008 at 11:43 PM
    as a hotel employee and also bookkeeper I do not see how the 1.5% increase in city sales tax will hurt the hotels here in Omaha. I have been in this industry for 6 years now and granted that rates are generally inflated during peak times like the college world series which we usually do not have too many people complaining about rates. If you compare the rates of various hotels during that time period you will see that most hotels are priced within about 20-30 Dollars room rate difference of each other. Also hotels set their room rates each year by comparing the rates of other hotels in the area and that helps keep them competitive. The realtively samll increase in tax would be marginal when you look at the room rates as a whole.
    Posted by: Lori on May 15, 2008 at 10:48 PM
    What people are forgetting was the tax increase originally proposed by Fahey was also a 2% increase on sales tax at restaurants. Which would indeed affect everyone living in Omaha, because who out there doesn't run through a fast food place at least once a month? It's the principle of the thing...if they raise taxes on restaurants to pay for the ball stadium you can bet my family won't be going out to eat in Omaha again. Of course, with the cost of gas, we've already cut back on that somewhat. Maybe bonds won't be used to build the stadium initially, but what happens when there's the eventual shortfall? Remember, even the Qwest had a major shortfall in funds. Unless of course Kiewit Construction is just planning to DONATE their services to build it. I will bet you any amount of money the $146 million does not include infrastructure, plumbing, electrical, lighting fixtures, etc...just like the Qwest. Just ask Marc Kraft.
    Posted by: Tim on May 15, 2008 at 02:19 PM
    Let's see. They were originally against the tax and now they want to increase it. Make up your mind for Pete's sake.
    Posted by: ricochet000 on May 15, 2008 at 12:46 PM
    That's funny, MHA was against this same tax increase less than a year ago, now they changed their mind...What gives???
    Posted by: w on May 15, 2008 at 11:51 AM
    Let the hotels pay the taxes because they are the ones that make the most profit from the cws by raising prices 200 percent. Wait and see how many people will stay in CB instead of omaha.
    Posted by: w on May 15, 2008 at 11:49 AM
    To J- I watched the game on PBS and NOTHING was JAM PACKED. There were empty seats behind home base. There were empty seats all over the place. Tell the truth.
    Posted by: lee on May 15, 2008 at 11:36 AM
    Wondering how many of you complainers ever stay in an Omaha hotel??? All cities make money off of tourists. Appreciate outside money paying for local needs.
    Posted by: Math for Some on May 15, 2008 at 11:19 AM
    If $ 1.50 for a $100 room, $3.00 for a $200 room and $ 4.50 for a $300 room puts it 'over the top" for people to pay, they should be renting a room anyway. Geez people. Obsessing already, again and forever - probably. And YES Bill, I do live in Omaha but have farmland in out state Nebraska.>:0)---But I license my vehicle here. Hope that covers all your potential dribble.
    Posted by: laura on May 15, 2008 at 10:19 AM
    How many people want to bet that the Amendment 1 that passed was dreamt up in a back room by Fahey & Co.? You think Nebraska taxes are high now, wait until your cities lose their public funds by investing in the stock market and then having it crash on them.
    Posted by: D on May 15, 2008 at 10:12 AM
    I say let the MHA fund the entire ballpark with their tax. Let's also tack on the sewer bond issue.
    Posted by: Andy on May 15, 2008 at 07:51 AM
    Again the naysayers are trying to spin this into how it'll affect the typical Omaha resident. Funny thing is, it most likey won't. How does a hotel tax affect the Omaha tax payer? Unless you are staying at hotels in town for some odd reason, it doesn't. Too funny that everyone against the stadium was clammoring against the thought of a higher hotel tax, and now the hotels say it's fine with them. Only response from the naysayers, "Who does Fahey have on the inside?" Gotta love paranoia. Still we have people who are crying about not voting for it. HELLO, you aren't paying for it. Unless you drive rented cars, or spend the night in an Omaha hotel, you aren't paying a dime for the stadium. So again, why should it have been up for a vote? I know the response, and it'll be the Omaha taxpayers will have to bail the city out, blah, blah blah. Have you seen the financial plan between the city and the NCAA? My guess is you haven't. Stadium gets paid off first under the plan.
    Posted by: Gary on May 15, 2008 at 07:18 AM
    True with waht you said Civics. But when the public votes for something like,Keno,and we voted because of what the revenue for that was to be used for,they should not be able to change what those funds are used for without a vote. Especially if we are NOT even in Omaha. That should require a vote.
    Posted by: RM on May 15, 2008 at 01:11 AM
    Let the hotels take less profit and send the money to Fahey and company. A lot of hotel rooms are used by residents of this taxed city will they be exempt if they reside here so only out of towners have to pay.
    Posted by: Civics on May 14, 2008 at 09:52 PM
    Robert- The public only gets to vote one something when it is a bond issue, the stadium isn't going to be build using bonds. Also, the city spends hundreds of millions of dollars every year with out it going to a public vote...it's called the city budget. You got to vote when you voted for your city councilman. This is a representative democracy, not a direct democracy. You vote for your councilman, then his vote represents you. You don't get to change our local, state, and federal system of government just because you don't like something that tax dollars are being used for.
    Posted by: T on May 14, 2008 at 09:33 PM
    Let's see how they like it when it gets raised again to pay off the Qwest Center debt - especially when it will go to pay off the debts of the competing hotels (Hilton and the one yet to be built).
    Posted by: Bill on May 14, 2008 at 07:32 PM
    To Robert: We would have liked to been able to vote on the ball park, but the Mayor and his cronies knew what was best for Omaha. We got to vote on the Qwest - I was against it and it passed by the will of the voters. The Mayor knew that if he put the stadium issue up for a vote, it would more than likely fail. The Mayor does not represent what is best for Omaha. It is only what is best for him and his cronies. Now he has the City Council so buffaloed that at least 5 are going to vote for the stadium. What a democracy we live in. Achtung!
    Posted by: William on May 14, 2008 at 05:57 PM
    It never ceases to amaze me that Mayor Fahey can lure more suckers to his way of thinking. Next we will hear that car rental agencies are behind him as well. P.T. Barnum summed it up with his famous phrase: There is a sucker born every moment.
    Posted by: Gary on May 14, 2008 at 05:21 PM
    Its also kind of funny how the hotels in Omaha "sccidently" loose reservations for people during the CWS who are not coming in for that. In fact one Hotel lost all the rooms in a persons wedding block...and some Omaha hotels increase their rates by 400% during that time. And so we increase the taxes we already have,too bring in more people? Does that sound a little counter productive to anyone else?
    Posted by: Brian on May 14, 2008 at 05:18 PM
    This is only the first extra tax. More on the way.
    Posted by: Robert on May 14, 2008 at 04:16 PM
    I wonder when the use of public funds to build something like the stadium without it going to a public vote became the Norm for Omaha. I dont understand how You folks in Omaha put up with a mayor that is looking to get his "legacey' before they finally wake up and get him out.
    Posted by: Jon on May 14, 2008 at 03:48 PM
    Welp! There goes our taxes! Just wait, crime will Also go up, yuppies robbing coffee houses, BMW dealerships, just to pay for that extra 15 dollars for their hotel room. Maybe we should give them a tax break...oops! Already did, hey guys there you go, something you can spend your extra million on!
    Posted by: DT on May 14, 2008 at 03:40 PM
    Anybody know who Fahey's Flunky is within the MHA??? I wonder how long it will be before Mike McKnight does an expose on the link between the Mayor's office and MhA?
    Posted by: Ozarks on May 14, 2008 at 03:38 PM
    And the hotels and inns in Council Bluffs will enjoy every penny of it.
    Posted by: Paul on May 14, 2008 at 03:17 PM
    Who can we recall now?
    Posted by: Deron on May 14, 2008 at 02:59 PM
    OMG!!!! Recall The Metropolitan Hospitality Association, Omaha's taxes are going to go through the roof as a result and drop Omaha into its own unrecoverable recession. Get out now while you can!
    Posted by: J on May 14, 2008 at 02:30 PM
    Wow - now the hotels (the ones being effected by the taxes) back it... all those against it should start praying that magically, the EPA will block this from being built. Oh, right, that won't happen either. YAY, A NEW BALLPARK FOR OMAHA! Especially after gboing to the Creighton Nebraska game last night, I hope this thing is done. When the concourses are JAM PACKED for the amount of people who showed up last night, I can't imagine how bad the CWS will be this year...
    Posted by: Dave on May 14, 2008 at 02:29 PM
    Not all the hotels belong to the MHA,but yet they are making a decision for all hotels in Omaha. Does not really seem fair. I would hope if a hotel does not belong they are exempt from the extra 1/2 percent increase.
    Posted by: RM on May 14, 2008 at 02:14 PM
    Taxes,Taxes and more Taxes.
    Posted by: ahahaha on May 14, 2008 at 01:47 PM
    pay for our stadium out of towners
    Posted by: Bill on May 14, 2008 at 01:16 PM
    Mayor Fahey must be gloating again!
    Posted by: Tom on May 14, 2008 at 12:56 PM
    Since all the business around the stadium will benefit. Add a area tax to those bars and restraunts around the stadium that will reap the benefit.
    Posted by: ed on May 14, 2008 at 12:32 PM
    more tax. imagine that. perhaps the city could tax us for the air that we breath. seems everything else is taxed in omaha.
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