Once again, thank you to the Prince George Citizen.
Samantha Wright Allen's excellent front page article on the city's involvement in the Marriott Hotel and the resulting controversy at city hall is just another example of why we need a strong newspaper.
Neil Godbout's two editorials on the flaws in council's approach are totally accurate and show the role that newspapers play in bringing these issues to the public's attention. Without The Citizen, this would have flown along well below our radar. Council's commitment to this project is way over the top and their justification that somehow Prince George will become convention central when the hotel is complete is just not realistic. The one or two events that a new hotel may bring to our city would not make the hotel viable nor would it provide the types of full-time, year-round jobs we need in Prince George.
By using all of the development funding for the next 10 years on this project, council is scuttling the ability of future councils to help out with any worthwhile proposal that may provide these types of jobs.
And who knows? Maybe future proposals would be local money rather than several U.S. based conglomerates that we know nothing about.
Hotels have had their struggles in the Prince George market. The old Simon Fraser has not found it easy. The Ramada has found this market tough. The old Connaught is closed and shuttered with no visible signs that it may one day reopen.
There have been several proposals made for hotels that have gone nowhere. Do we, the taxpayer, want a lot of our money invested in this industry?
But back to my opener. Radio and TV are fine but you can't beat a good newspaper to dig up and print, in detail, the scuttlebutt on this type of story.
Well done, Citizen.
John Warner
Prince George
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