I THOUGHT that most people would realize that by "eating the taxes" one is simply giving the customer a 10% discount, which obviously is quite a hit to profits.
You definitely don't have to listen to me, but I personally like making money and keeping it, which means I don't pay other people's taxes for them.
For example:
Your fixed costs are $50 and you want to make $50 profit so you charge $100. YOU "eat" the 10% tax and now you only profit $40, which is 20% below target.
Option 2 is charge $110, now THEY are paying the taxes and you are profiting 20% more than option one.
And yes I know you likely will still have to eat $1.10 in option 2 because of how it is calculated, but it is still obviously the best choice.

EliteElectric said:

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Richleau12 said:

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EliteElectric said:

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So a lot of you that complain each Christmas about SW, do you take your kids other places like Disney, Sea World, Six Flags, Great Wolf, Kalahari, Schlitterbahn, Zoo's, Aquariums etc?

Everything is corporate, everything is a dollar trap, this just happens to be right here where we don't have to spend a couple thousand on plane tickets and another couple grand on rooms. We can simply get in our vehicle and drive a few miles and be there.

Our family enjoys going, we typically go on weeknights during school to avoid the larger crowds, and we always go Christmas eve.

SW is a local guy done good, and a treasure to our community IMHO. It's OK if you disagree.

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I mean, it is kind of funny to read a post like this from a guy with electric in the handle. I'd say they are good customers lol. That being said, SW gets flack simply because of how it is operated. Nothing is included when you arrive from what it seems so people get miffed at that operative choice. People get miffed at the parking in and out situation. Again, these are operative choices that could be decided better, clearly, from customer reaction.

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#1 he has his own electrical group that does everything, we have never done anything for SW, ever.
#2 my point was- every other attraction on earth does those same things, he is conducting business very similar to all of the other attractions.

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#1 that is incorrect. I personally know the owner of the electrical company/contractor of SW. They aren't owned/operated by SW.

#2 the point I believe most of us are making is that there's "business" and then there's "good business". We don't expect the owner of SW to be up there with a Mattress Mack caliber of charity, but sheesh, the price gouging is getting old. Perhaps they could get a little more positive PR by easing off this or that with some sponsorship dough or something.

Does anyone else see he contempt folks have here? It's quite gross. Does this guy work for the city? Gross behavior.

JP76 said:

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LOYAL AG said:

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Y'all are doing it wrong. Buy tickets in July when they have their half price sale. Go opening week in the middle of the week. We went last Wednesday and damn near had the park to ourselves. No lines anywhere for anything. Walked straight into the hay ride for the lights. Parked right outside the gate maybe 30m after it opened and walked right in. Longest wait we had was for an ice cream cone because a family of 5 walked in right before us.

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Who wants to go to a winter theme park when it is 80 degrees outside ?

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That's fair and we asked ourselves the same question last week. Same time last year it was 50 and we were jeans and jackets. This year? Shorts and polos. Welcome to Texas in November.

My kids are older and we haven't been in many years.

I don't feel like we are missing out on anything.

At least if we go to Hawaii, I enjoy the week while getting gouged, and my work doesn't bug me with the crazy time zone difference.

maroon barchetta said:

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That's different. The medians killed Amico Nave.

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Nice derail, but 100% false...if you paid attention to timing of construction you wouldn't fall for the fake propaganda.

It's trying to catch them but they are just too fast.

australopithecus robustus said:

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Although it's clear that SW brings out of town visitors, the jury is still out on whether or not it puts enough heads in beds to justify HOT funds. One would think that most of the traffic it brings does not proportionally help CS as a whole. Most visitors are likely within a two-hour drive or so and they probably drop all their $ at SW and then leave. If true, it's very questionable that they should continue to receive HOT funds.

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HOT funds can be difficult to spend. I empathize with whoever is in charge of trying to decide where that bucket of money goes because there's not a lot to choose from. SW is arguably the biggest draw to BCS outside football so it remains an obvious candidate. From what I read on here the city paid for a sign to notify visitors to SW of local hotels out of HOT funds. That doesn't sound like "lining the owner's pockets" as someone said.

Then let's stop fleecing out of towners?

That's my vote.

Hornbeck said:

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Then let's stop fleecing out of towners?

That's my vote.

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I'm with ya, not a fan of extra taxes. Just about every city in Texas takes advantage of the laws allowing for hotel taxes though.

And they struggle to spend it.

Stop the insanity!

maroon barchetta said:

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Give the HOT tax revenue to the football program NIL fund. Aggie football is the biggest driver for hotel bookings in town.

Win-win.

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If you can get it past legal. But alas, see below:

Quote:

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How is Local HOT Revenue Used?
Local HOT revenue may only be used to promote tourism and the convention and hotel industries. The following projects may be funded with local HOT revenue:

- Constructing, improving, enlarging, equipping, repairing, operating and maintaining a convention center or visitor information center;
- Furnishing of facilities, personnel and materials for the registration of convention delegates or registrants;
- Advertising and conducting promotional programs to attract tourists and convention delegates or registrants;
- Encouragement, promotion, improvement and application of the arts;
- Historical restoration and preservation projects or advertising and conducting promotional programs to encourage tourists to visit preserved historic sites or museums;
- Expenses related to a sporting event in which a majority of participants are tourists;
- Enhancement and upgrading of existing sports facilities or fields;
- Constructing, improving, enlarging, equipping, repairing, operating and maintaining a coliseum or multiuse facility; and
- Signage directing public to sights and attractions that are visited by hotel guests.

Refer to the Texas Municipal League's The Hotel Tax Two-Step (PDF) for details.

Cities and counties may also pledge local HOT revenue to pay for bonds used for eligible projects, as well as contract project management services to manage their HOT projects.

Sports and Community Venues
Local HOT may be adopted to acquire, construct, improve and equip a venue project that is a convention center facility or related infrastructure.

These include:

- An arena, coliseum, stadium or other type of facility that is used for professional or amateur sports events, community events or other sports events, livestock shows, agricultural expos, promotional events and other civic or charitable events;
- A convention center, convention center facility or a related improvement such as a civic center hotel, theater, opera house, music hall, rehearsal hall, park, zoo, museum, aquarium or plaza; and
- A watershed protection and preservation project.

See Local Government Code Chapter 334 Secs. 334.001 and 334.251-334.258 for details.

Local HOT revenue may not be treated like general revenue or spent on general expenditures.

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https://comptroller.texas.gov/economy/development/sales-tax/hotel.php

I know what the owner said on KBTX and I stand by my comment.

etmydst said:

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I know what the owner said on KBTX and I stand by my comment.

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Good for you.

It's not a "derail" if it was a direct quote from the owner in a news story.