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Old 06-23-2011, 06:51 PM
 
Location: central Austin
7,228 posts, read 16,015,840 times
Reputation: 3914

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This just appeared in my inbox, thought I'd share.

By DUTCH MANDEL on 6/22/2011


As the editorial director of America's largest racing magazine and a guy who has grown up around racing and racers, who has worked for a professional race team and who was weaned on horsepower and Castrol fumes, I have two words for the Austin City Council and its constituents before Thursday's vote to bless the proposed 2012 Austin Grand Prix:

Run away.

I don't say this out of spite or malice. I want a Formula One event in the United States as much as anyone does. But Austin is already what's right in America! It's a city that's, by almost all accounts, vibrant and exciting, filled with great music, people and food. It has extraordinary educational facilities and fantastic surrounding scenery and carries a thoughtful and an eclectic vibe. Austin is comfortable in its own skin, and as a resident of a city--Detroit--that has long yearned to redefine itself and its reputation, I say that if you allow Bernie Ecclestone and his F1 circus to attach themselves remora-like to you, dear Austin, it will be an enormous and very expensive lesson.

If I read correctly, the Austin race organizers are ready to pay $4 million annually to trigger access to a Texas state fund and, later on, access to revenue generated by sales tax attributable directly to the race that will cover the $25 million or so that Ecclestone charges promoters each year to host F1.

Hey, I want that deal. For $40 million I give you, you give me a quarter billion, right?

You council members know to whom the money flows, right? Take a Google gander at Ecclestone, he who holds F1's marketing rights. (You may stumble on recent news accounts of his 22-year-old daughter, Petra, who last week paid $85 million for Candy Spelling's Los Angeles-area mansion . . . to go with her $90 million crib in London. But I digress.)

Know that nothing happens without Bernie's approval and his piece of the take. Nothing. If you want a "green space," he'll get his green, too. The local "Rattlesnake Burgers" sold trackside for $10 a pop? Mr. E probably takes $3 apiece.

The point, gentle people of Austin, is not to be rushed into doing anything you don't want to do. If after sufficient due diligence--surely you've talked with past U.S. F1 organizers and city fathers from, say, Indianapolis, Phoenix, Watkins Glen, Long Beach and Detroit and heard their collective tal e of woe. If you want to offer up keys (and every other city part) to F1, that's your choice. But think about this: If the cradle of American motorsports, the home of the Greatest Spectacle in Racing, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, failed to keep F1 in America, what makes Austin--not the promoters, who have a bunch of reasons, maybe quite true, for why they are different--think it can succeed? Again, I'm talking to the fine people of Austin, not the people directly behind the track project.

Remember: Bernie always gets his money. Always.

Again, I like F1. AutoWeek has covered Grand Prix racing for all of our 53 years. I wake early to watch qualifying live from exotic locales such as Monaco and Seoul.

I just don't want to see you hurt. I like your city too much to have that happ en.

Be sure to read Dutch Mandel's follow-up column about the Austin Formula One controversy here.
Austin: Dancing with the devil in the details - AutoWeek
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Old 06-23-2011, 07:44 PM
 
Location: Round Rock, Texas
12,864 posts, read 13,163,727 times
Reputation: 13814
Then Austin should not annex the track after it's finished. Let Del Valle have it.
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Old 06-23-2011, 10:06 PM
 
844 posts, read 2,010,046 times
Reputation: 1076
Yikes. That's scary. Why are we doing this again?
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Old 06-23-2011, 10:31 PM
 
Location: Avery Ranch, Austin, TX
8,977 posts, read 17,441,886 times
Reputation: 4000
But, but, but...the TV ads make it sound so WON-der-ful!
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Old 06-23-2011, 10:32 PM
 
Location: Austin, TX
1,283 posts, read 2,724,410 times
Reputation: 1040
It is my understanding that the latest version of the agreement between the City of Austin and F1 organizers will not allow any city money to be contributed to the project, it is simply a waiver for access to the state's development fund. The controversy right now is whether there are any loopholes that (in case the deal somehow goes south) the city would have to cover construction costs.

In the next few days, city attorneys will meet and review the contract again with F1 organizers to try and close any loopholes. Then, at a special city council meeting next Wed. (June 29th), city council is expected to vote and approve the agreement. This will also be the first meeting for new councilwoman Kathie Tovo (expected to vote no regardless) along with pro-ANC councilwoman Laura Morrison. Austin city council is expected to approve the agreement on a 5-to-2 vote.
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Old 06-23-2011, 10:47 PM
 
1,157 posts, read 2,639,313 times
Reputation: 482
This whole F1 thing just sounds like a bad idea here. Its like we are being talked into building a stadium with the allure of massive tourism to pump money into the city... oh wait....

Aren't there tons of case studies out there disproving this?
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Old 06-23-2011, 10:59 PM
 
Location: Austin, TX
1,283 posts, read 2,724,410 times
Reputation: 1040
Quote:
Originally Posted by FueledByBlueBell View Post
This whole F1 thing just sounds like a bad idea here. Its like we are being talked into building a stadium with the allure of massive tourism to pump money into the city... oh wait....

Aren't there tons of case studies out there disproving this?
We are not being asked to build a stadium. The facility is being developed as we speak with private funds. F1 organizers do want state funds (as well as city). The City of Austin already has turned down that request for city funds. What F1 is asking for is access to the state's development fund that municipalities normally can access (hence why organizers are trying to draft this agreement).
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Old 06-24-2011, 01:06 AM
 
10,130 posts, read 19,785,542 times
Reputation: 5815
The author should have made it an "open letter to the state of Texas". They are the ones that decided to give out $25 million of their collected tax money annually to Formula 1; they vetted it with their employees and staff, they operate the METF fund, and they've done tons of huge events with it. Perhaps they might know what they are doing? But wait -- it also went through the state legislature, and was once again put under the microscope by a whole bunch of legislators from all over Texas. They left it in the budget.

So the city doesn't really have much to do with the $250M. If they feel they want to be the ones to pass another judgement on the state's decision, I guess that's fine... that's what activists do. But the state money just seems to be the convenient reason d'jour for the F1 haters. Last week it was the city's $4 million per year contribution, and then when that was taken care of it the problem becomes the METF money from the state. If that went away it would be the environmental impact (never mind that F1 has been carbon neutral for years, and spurred much hybrid technology). Or it would be the traffic. Or Bernie. Or unemployed teachers. Basically anything bad they can link this project to, they will do it. Perhaps they'll claim F1 is the cause of our drought?

I think it's a shame because the promotor is a real fan of Austin and he put together an amazing array of the finest contractors in the state, lined up the state funding, got some big investors... truly a stars aligning kind of a thing. All to bring his dream race to Austin.

I'm sure he expected to have to deal with environmentalists, and some pushback for the state funding. But I don't think he ever expected the sheer hatred that seems to have developed for Formula 1 by so many Austinites.

If the race still happens, that guy deserves a medal. Talk about everyone and everything going against you. Perhaps San Antonio can come in and save the day. They'd welcome this in a heartbeat.
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Old 06-24-2011, 08:13 AM
 
Location: Holly Neighborhood, Austin, Texas
3,982 posts, read 6,693,790 times
Reputation: 2882
I think this is all politics between F1 and the state of Texas/Austin. Our goal is to get them to pay for as much as possible while their goal is just the opposite. The bottom line at this point is that they're pretty much committed to this project going through and it would be embarrassing for them to pull out. Right now, unless their is an upcoming loophole that will be utilized, we are getting a good deal.

Now Chris Riley was on to something when he mentioned the Ozone days. Since this will be in the summer ozone season and there will be a lot in attendance - driving mostly - this could impact our attainment status with the feds if the readings are bumped high for even a single day. The city should be proactive in this, Capmetro should think of offering free bus and rail rides if any of these days should fall on a weekday that already has a lot of traffic. Intangible carbon credits don't remedy the situation at all.
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Old 06-24-2011, 12:04 PM
 
1 posts, read 1,836 times
Reputation: 17
Default Open letter to Austin or whomever reads it !

Wow..
I'm still waiting for my fortune-teller/palm-reader psychic to get back to me with her feelings about F1 in Austin, but her flight home to Brazil seems to be delayed ! I do appreciate all the concern we've heard from abroad and editors of this and writers of that, yet the only real fact minus all the conjecture and speculation here is that Austin will decide and past that NO ONE really knows what will or wont happen . Yes, that's right, I said it..NO ONE knows the ultimate effect of F1 will be on Austin should it happen . I understand the numbers put forth and I also understand that Austin is already on a world stage for our other attributes and having lived here most of my life have also witnessed the residents for and against change , looking ultimately to keep Austin true to is "feel" .
I'm wondering what the reaction would be if we were talking about a professional football or baseball stadium ? Most of us here know that even the smallest municipalities can and do spend millions on such things and while I wont debate the importance of any sport or pastime , its agreed that someone liked it enough to pay for it . I also understand that Mr.Ecclestone gets his money and has his hand in it, a lot . Unless someone finds it too ridiculous ,will somebody call Jerry Jones please and ask him not to profit and pass that on to the NFL, NBA, MLB, etc ?
F1 is not our baby . it comes from elsewhere , although I fondly think of a certain Texan named Carroll that made his name "over there " way back when .In my own single-digit youth in Southern California , I vividly remember hearing a track called Orange County International Raceway, miles away , and while I didn't know it by name then , when Top Fuel or Funny Car came to town, it roared the sweetest sound that small boy ever heard, from miles away and likely stirred in me what is 2 and 4 and wheel bug that I still have today . I never saw a car go down the track there, and we moved to Texas when I was 10, yet the convergence of hot rodding, aircraft, the weather, post war people and economics and motorsport in Southern California was the perfect storm for birthing an industry, a lifestyle and a passion for so many , around the world, not to mention inspiring the way and what we drive to school, work and the grocery store . I often hope and wish for a such an environment here, at home , in Texas, in the "fun" aspect and the way it was and is such a great individual and family activity . We are so geographically spread out in Texas that its difficult to get really large congregations of motorsport or industry or even hobbyists together . Do I want to be Austin like So-Cal ? I don't think so, yet I see that people being are attracted and coming in large numbers to what we have , like they did to California, changing it too and making it their own,yet still "ours", surely and inevitably . I'm not sure that we can take it back how great it is to live here nor can I blame people or business from wanting some of what we have .
I'm not so sure that Mr. Ecclestone can steal our souls all by himself and while millions of dollars are millions of dollars, I also know that Austin can and does spend money on a lot of things just as expensive and potentially risky or just weird . Those lights and renovation under I-35 for "parking" ? Can someone tell me what we paid for the LED curved oddity there, and what the postage stamp sized parking renovation cost , yet these things happen in the budget all the time in bite size amount that people hardly notice and more importantly, can swallow . How about the cost of the new rail system that we know by stats , very few people ride ?( as of yet anyway) .
Now, I am no one special, I don't write for a living ( hell, I can barely type!) nor do I have any special background minus my 35 years as an enthusiast, participant and worker in the automotive and motorcycle industry of no significant title, and oh yeah, and I live here, in Austin .
Its all a gamble with business and investment and I'm pretty sure that while people may not like Mr.Ecclestone, he is not Satan and Mr. Mandel said it himself, that he traveled to 2 F1 events abroad recently , and I'm assuming he took his money,or the magazines and Austin nor the U.S. got none of it, ok maybe the airfare ? If hes right and its a disaster then the "I told you sos" will flow and the people that bet on a train wreck will get what now ? And if they are wrong then the controversy washes away and ?? If it works for us it would seem there's way more possibility than just some dollars form a little track outside of town, and it might even inspire a person, or two, or a generation of people ? In any case, track or no track if your not already here and you come to Austin, please enjoy your stay, and know that the PEOPLE here, from Texas and other places built this city and we've done a pretty fair job of surviving adversity and windfall and were pretty lucky around here, because we make it that way . The foods pretty good too . Looking forward to seeing you .

Marc DeBusk
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