Civic Center Heartburn

We are Curmudgeon.

We are not about providing special attention and perks from Copperas Cove city council members for “special interest” groups in our city.  

We ARE for the overall concerns of the residents, citizens, taxpayers of Copperas Cove. (Like, where have the council’s concerns over the FATHOM debacle gone? Any more updates on how things are going? Or is it because there’s no election season, it doesn’t matter anymore? Surely, the people want an update.)

We are tired of necessary projects in this city getting ignored or pushed down the road due to council’s lack of concern or because of the council's present focus on minutia, like the “poor, picked-on” Copperas Cove Chamber of Commerce.

In the grand scheme of things, the Copperas Cove Chamber of Commerce’s worries over a few thousand dollars every year, at the most, that it would have to pay the city --  amounts to pocket change when compared to the millions the city deals with.

That money amounts to no more than a quarter that a child might find in the car, compared to a family’s overall budget.

Yet the council’s overarching decisions have focused on the “victim” of a prior overarching council’s decision.

It’s time for the chamber to stop playing the victim card and stand up on its own and do the job its members pay it for. More about that another day.

(Anyhoo, I digress again. Worse than a rabbit on a bunny trail, all over the place. )

Tuesday night, councilman Jay Manning will unfold his concerns, questions, and who knows what else about the fees for the Copperas Cove Civic Center.

I wonder, what exactly is wrong with the civic center fees?

Dear residents, it is laid out plain as day on the Copperas Cove city council agenda just how much other area cities charge for their civic centers. On average, Copperas Cove is not so far off. Lookie, lookie, at the bottom line where Copperas Cove compares to other cities. Click on the picture below for a better view. It is all there. No big secret.

(Granted, the Civic Center doesn’t look like much on the outside – a ramshackle, tin-can building like so many popped up in this city during the 70’s.)

So what’s the big to-do over this civic center’s fees?

I’m guessing Mr. Manning is eating his TUMS gummies over the chamber’s heartburn about the way the Military Affairs banquets were “handled” when the council took away the discounts for EVERYONE. You can read more about that in my prior post, Curmudgeon's Prediction,  (complete with the sounds of screeching violins of sympathy. Sorry! Snark leak!)

Other groups and nonprofits have used the Civic Center, and paid. Like Star Group Veterans Helping Veterans, who host almost 1000 people at an Independence Day picnic every year and feed them all for free. They paid to use the Civic Center.

Then there’s the Cove House board, which used the Civic Center for their annual fundraising banquet for the homeless shelter. They paid for the Civic Center. Half price, and the council denied a request not too long ago to refund them the money they paid.

What’s more public than their purpose to help people? In fact, Cove House used to be operated by the city, so part of that public purpose doctrine the lawyer talked about fits in this case. “Something the city itself could do.”

And, the Bluebonnet Book Bash was held at the Civic Center last September, with proceeds to benefit the Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association, a group which helps local veterans, the VA hospital and other local veteran causes. Guess what? Its organizer paid. Full price! Sounds like a public purpose there, but she was still charged for something that helps the local community.

So what makes the Copperas Cove Chamber of Commerce any different or more special from these groups?

I believe Mr. Manning has the proverbial “beer goggles” on where the chamber is concerned and will persist in his special interest backing.

How do you like that, Copperas Cove?

I’m interested to see where Tuesday night’s discussion goes.

In the meantime, peace, love, and bunnies, y’all.