Batfest Stinks! (Austin: paid, top, news)

[inthecut]

Originally Posted by atxcio

Here is the response I got about bringing water to the Austin Hot Sauce Festival --

nice to see someone is reasonable..

[AGA]

So I hear the company that sponsors BATFEST, will now be running the Trail of Lights....instead of the city.
GREAT (not)...insert sarcasm here.

[CptnRn]

I caught that on the news the other day. I can't imagine that as many people will come out for the event if they have to pay admission for everyone who attends it.

[Jennibc]

Big bummer. Is the city paying them to do it because they can do it cheaper or are they charging admission and putting up a bunch of food booths so they can charge $4 for bottled water?

[inthecut]

Fests are privatized now, or largely so, so they cut back on whatever they can, and force you to buy as MUCH as they can.....and this is in many cities now, part of the privatization trend in so many sectors.....

BTW, they CANNOT CHARGE YOU ADMISSION....that's why they call it a donation......and if enough people raise hell about it, the city will stop allowing companies to privatize "public" festivals on public property..

We went through hell in Chicago for years about that before I moved here, and didn't get anywhere, so it will be tough.....the city gets a piece of the pie, and doesn't have to provide a cent......and the company proceeds to fleece the public for every cent, even on 107 degree days when you can't bring in your own water(since when is a vital function like drinking fluids on horribly hot days illegal?)

[mimimomx3]

Originally Posted by inthecut

Fests are privatized now, or largely so, so they cut back on whatever they can, and force you to buy as MUCH as they can.....and this is in many cities now, part of the privatization trend in so many sectors.....

I'd be fine with it- at least people can pick and choose what to spend their money on. The problem is that things are privatized, but there is no reduction in taxes. Strange, right?

[inthecut]

Originally Posted by mimimomx3

I'd be fine with it- at least people can pick and choose what to spend their money on. The problem is that things are privatized, but there is no reduction in taxes. Strange, right?

Well, the city I came from privatized almost the entire city(chicago), and taxes are higher than ever there......So surely WE are not getting the benefits of the same.....

[mimimomx3]

Originally Posted by inthecut

Well, the city I came from privatized almost the entire city(chicago), and taxes are higher than ever there......So surely WE are not getting the benefits of the same.....

Government never seems to get any smaller. Our property taxes keep going up and the government services we get, well, they seem to shrink. Austin will soon be taxing people right out of their homes.

[inthecut]

Originally Posted by mimimomx3

Government never seems to get any smaller. Our property taxes keep going up and the government services we get, well, they seem to shrink. Austin will soon be taxing people right out of their homes.

Well, we need more oversight of the same....and people don't care enough to really study the issues and appear at the board meetings....if they did, you would see a sea change......

The scary thing about taxing bodies, from the IRS on down, is that they are confiscatory powers....in other words, they can take all your stuff....including the house itself you aren't paying taxes on.....and try getting them to change an assessment..they know most people will never bother going though all the paperwork and trouble, so thats why things never change...

[atxcio]

Originally Posted by AGA

So I hear the company that sponsors BATFEST, will now be running the Trail of Lights....instead of the city.
GREAT (not)...insert sarcasm here.

Looks like they won't be running it this year:
News 8 Austin | 24 Hour Local News | TOP STORIES

Will still be free, but they are soliciting volunteers and it will be smaller.