I might be the only person on Godās good Earth to feel this way, but Iāll express it anyway.
I was driving around Amarillo in Big Jake, my big olā pickup, when I heard a voice on the radio; I am going to paraphrase what I heard.Ā āIām Ginger Nelson,ā the voice intoned, āand if youāre going to receive friends and family here, I recommend that they stayāĀ at a certain hotel.
The ad took me aback. Why? Well, Ginger Nelson is Amarilloās mayor. She never revealed that she occupies that highly visible public office in the commercial.Ā But ā¦ cāmon!Ā Everyone in AmarilloĀ knowsĀ she is the mayor. It struck me as a bit odd that a mayor would serve as a pitch person for a private business, particularly a business in the midst of heavy competition with other private businesses providing the same service. In this case, itās the hospitality industry.
This might not stick in anyone elseās craw, but it sure stuck in mine. It runs afoul of my perception of fair play, that the political leader of a community would play favorites, selecting one private business over all the others that do business within that city.
Itās worth wondering out loud: How would the owner of a competing hotel feel about the head the cityās governing council soliciting business for a competitor? My guess: He or she probably wouldnāt like it one little bit.
Admittedly, I havenāt done any research into the matter. I am merely reacting to something I heard on my vehicle radio.
I mentioned it to my wife and she reminded me that former Mayor (and City Commissioner) Trent Sisemore did some pitch work while he held public officeĀ for his own business, which happened to be an RV dealership ā¦ which since has been taken over by new owners. That seemed wildly different from what I heard from the current mayor.
Donāt misunderstand me. I donāt know Mayor Nelson well. However, I believe she has done a good job as mayor of the city she loves. The economy is thriving and (oh brother!) there is work being done on streets and highways all over the city.
Someone might have to explain to me that this really is OK. To my ears, it just doesnāt sound right ā or proper.
Itās well known she and other council members have some type of financial ties to several downtown properties. That should explain why thereās been so much done to downtown.