NEWS
Thursday September 13, 2012 the daily aztec
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Hotel taxes used questionably Students learn how to create a movement
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Amanda Guerrero Staff Writer
Elisse Miller Staff Writer
Hotel owners in Chula Vista discovered a self-imposed tax intended to increase tourism funding has been spent on the salaries for Chamber of Commerce members instead. The tax was established in 2009, when Chula Vista hotel owners decided to increase room rates by 2.5 percent, amounting to an annual intake of $400,000. The extra funding was intended to enhance advertising and marketing for to attract more visitors to the city’s hotels. However, an investigation by the San Diego County Grand
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Jury found 72 percent of the money produced by the tax is used towards the salaries for the chamber’s staff. Money for advertising was spent on local publications, which, by nature, are not meant to draw new visitors to Chula Vista. Carl Winston, Director of the L. Robert Payne School of Hospitality & Tourism Management, does not find this news shocking. “There is a history of hoteliers being unhappy with the way that hotel taxes are spent,” Winston said. “I’m not surprised there’s a battle, because cities are so desperate for money.”
Winston said San Diego has a 10.5 percent Transient Occupancy Tax. When it was initiated in the 1960s, 100 percent of profits went to promoting San Diego as a tourist destination, which decreased to zero in 2007. Twelve of the tax-paying hotels petitioned to dissolve the tax, but the process is proving more difficult than it was to initiate the tax. Because the taxes collected from these 12 hotels amounts to more than 50 percent of the total money raised, a public hearing will soon be held to find a solution.
After months of planning, two San Diego State seniors hosted a leadership training conference called Youth Organizing and Policy Institute. The San Diego YOPI, which ended on Sunday, is one of eight regions taking part in Planned Parenthood Federation of America’s national 2012 Youth, Power Tour! YOPI’s logistics lead Amy Dunford and curriculum lead Jennifer Kulka organized the threeday conference, aimed at promoting change through movements started by young people. The event attracted local and out-of-state participants. Although YOPI is funded by PPFA (known for its politically liberal support base), Kulka, a psychology senior, said the skills taught at the conference are valuable to anyone seeking change. According to Kulka, YOPI is a set of workshops meant to teach people leadership skills necessary to start effective and lasting movements. “We’re teaching (students) these skills so they can go home and launch change,” Kulka said. “That way, they can create the change that they want to see.” YOPI was broken into two sections: “Building Your Power,” which taught effective methods for starting a movement, and “Using
Your Power,” which demonstrated ways to keep a movement from losing momentum. To get a break from their training, YOPI participants spent Saturday night aboard the Inspiration Hornblower. SDSU gerontology senior Micah Wroten, who didn’t know what YOPI was before attending, said the event provided a comfortable environment to learn about event planning. “I think it’s applicable to
...workshops meant to teach people leadership skills necessary to start effective and lasting movements.
anything,” Wroten said. “It was a great experience in all aspects like training, networking and even fun.” Dunford and Kulka said they are proud of the event, which brought 87 participants to SDSU. “I loved seeing how everyone was super serious and showed they weren’t just here for a vacation in San Diego, but that they really wanted to do something,” Dunford said.