NET TO GROSS….
Dear Readers….Part one of the Vice Mayor’s “electioneering” Commissioner Comments at the July 14,2009 Comm. meeting had to do with his assertions about July 4th…and the “tremendous savings” that came from the Mc-Furth Gang event…in contrast with the previous 2 years…BUT…what he spouted from his “bully pulpit” were not the final numbers and he chose to compare the net from his 2009 co- chaired event to the gross from the previous 2007/2008 events….Thus apples to oranges…
Also of note….the goal in 2008 was to not exceed the 2007 costs of the event put on by the Old Guard….the goal of the 2009 event was to cut down to the bare bones…(re-election year coming)…BUT when you play fair and compare purchases and size of production to purchases and size of production for the July 4th 2008/2009 both planned by Marc Furth…..thus apples to apples…..you realize the Vice Mayor tossed out the usual Mc-Furth “bait and switch!”….First his comments…then the figures…
VM- ” First the ah, 4th of July was a huge success. Just to put some figures to the ah, event ah, 2 years ago this town spent $90,000 for the 4th of July. One year ago we spent $80,000. Today we have got a preliminary cost for the 4th of July and it was $20,000 [in 7/14/09 memo]. That event you saw or participated in was done for $20,000 including the fireworks. That’s absolutely phenomenal. It’s , it’s a $60,000 savings over last year and $70,000 over the year before and that can only be attributed to the tremendous work of Marc Furth assisted by his wife Cristie and the tremendous work of the volunteers. My wife and Gail were instrumental in getting them together and Mikos Angeles from the fire department got all the volunteers working together.But,it,it,it went off like ah, like the Olympics! Everything went on time when it was scheduled. Everybody was laughing and ah, I think we eventually collected 13,000 or 14,000 in donations. It was down from the year before um, ah, in general it was a great event and it’s sad that a lot of people chose to boycott it for whatever reasons, I don’t know, but it was non-political. There wasn’t any political hyping from the stand and you know everybody had an opportunity to ah, to be part of a great event and it’s really sad that ah, it wasn’t ah, it wasn’t joined by all in town . But again, to put that event on for $20,000 that is absolutely a great feat!”
BC- First a quick review…2 years a go the Mc-Furth Gang called for a boycott of the Town July 4th event…and we CIC members followed their marching orders…in fact the ousted VFD put on their own barbecue at the Community Church…This event WAS political from the get-go by being sponsored jointly by the Town/CIC (a PAC Org.)/VFD….The planning was done solely by Marc Furth (fearless leader Marc Furth)…and decisions were made out of the sunshine with an assist from the Town Manager with the RFPs to the notices being put up ….The donations were massively different…due to the Mc-Furth Gang anti-business actions as well as the political divide within the resident voting factions….The parade entries were depleted as well for the same reasons as were those who passed on lining the streets…..The numbers of those who came to the afternoon event also took a nose dive we were told but the food costs compared to the previous year increased…The events should not be compared with fireworks due to the FACT that there was no comparison in the fireworks display shows…from the previous 2 years and this years display put on from the beach at odds with the Broward DEP and their concern for the turtles ….So some comparisons 2007/2008/2009…. purchases and production for 2008 vs 2009….. net minus fireworks for 2007/2008/2009…
JULY 4, 2007 EVENT….
Total $84,333.72
Donations $34,398.00
Fireworks $53,500.00
(Display $34,000.00/ Pier $15,000.00 / Add. Ins & Firewatch $ 4500.00)
NET COST TO TOWN $49,935.72
JULY 4, 2008 EVENT….
Total $83,877.66
Donations $ 34,041.00
Fireworks $46,850.00
Display $26,850.00 [orig $35,000.00 – refund $8150.00]/ Pier $20,000.00
NET COST TO TOWN $49,836.66
JULY 4, 2009 EVENT…..
Total $ 38,488.17
Donations $ 13,782.00
Fireworks $17,325.65
Display 15,000/ fencing for fireworks $2,274.90/ stage supplies 51.65
NET COST TO TOWN $24,706.17
Also compare the following…BOTH Events were planned by Marc Furth…(some of the differences)….
2008 Event…
Temple Display-Purchased 4th of July Decorations….$6,948.00
2009 Event…
No decorations purchased……. $0
2008 Event…
Temple Display- Purchased Banners….$2460.00
2009 Event…
No Banners purchased…. $0
2008 Event…
Classic Car Show…..$1500.00
2009 Event…
Classic Car Show (less cars)…$1000.00
2008 Event…
Cee Jay/ Standing Ovations…Sand castle Flown in per Cristie Furth…$1300.00
2009 Event…
No Sandcastles….$0
2008 Event…
All Star Events…Rides… $ 4674.00
2009 Event…
All Star Events…Rides (less rides)…$ 2410.00
2008 Event…
2 Bands $1000.00
2009 Event….
1 steel Band $300.00
2008 Event…
Marc Furth Expenses…REPAID…$2,342.12
2009 Event…
Marc Furth Expenses…REPAID….$ 273.17
The Difference 2008/2009 …$14,740.95 ….for Marc Furth purchases…not needed to re purchase in year 2 & cut backs in production size…..
added to the 2009 Net Cost To Town…$39,447.12/ 2008 Net Cost To Town…$38,488.17 …
So the Mc-Furth 2009 July 4th Event (if all was equal in purchases and size of production) cost $958.95 more with just these listed item (there are more see below scans)…
Taking out the Fireworks……..from the Net Cost To Town…would produce the following…
2007 Net Cost to the town +$3,565.00
2008 Net Cost to the Town -$2,986.66
2009 Net Cost to the Town -$ 7,380.52
So the 2009 pared down Mc-Furth July 4th event cost the town $4,393.86 MORE than the year before!…
Apples to Apples….Gang….
The Expenditure Sheets…
2007….
2008….
2009…
more to come….
Tags: LBTS Agendas/Meetings, local government, Local Politics, Scoops, scoops july 4th events
