Issue #38------- $130 Movie Tickets!

"This film cost $31 million. With that kind of money I could have invaded some country." Clint Eastwood     

 
Tonight's Council agenda includes a staff proposal for expansion of the Wheeler Opera House -- a $3 million line item for expansion planning in 2010. The expansion itself is estimated to cost $30 million.

The Ant did a quick "big picture" overview of the Wheeler numbers and we need to say "thanks" to all of you for taking us to the movies!  With operating losses averaging around $2.5 million per year* for the past few years and with roughly 19,000 tickets sold, YOU are subsidizing the Ant's movie-going at about $130 per movie or live show!  (But we always buy our own Mentos and M&M's!)   

In 2008, the Wheeler had 190 film screenings, making up the majority of its entertainment offerings. Other events can have greater losses. For example, the Bernadette Peters show, promoted and sponsored by the Wheeler, had a cash out-of-pocket loss of $40,000, or $115 per ticket.  This subsidy was borne by the taxpayers, before overhead costs are considered, which surely brought the total subsidy to well over $200 per ticket.  

The subsidy will grow significantly with greater space to maintain, more staff, higher utilities, depreciation, and the like.  $150 .... $175 .... or more per ticket?  We don't know yet. But hopefully Council will by the time they make a decision to budget expansion planning money!  

Last Thursday, Wheeler customers received an email blast  http://theredant.squarespace.com/storage/WheelerCouncil.pdf   from City staff asking for attendance at tonight's meeting to ask for public support for a "now or never" decision by  Council.  

The Ant is counting on City Council to send the project back to the drawing board for more documentation that makes the business case and  shows the impact on the City budget for both the expansion and ongoing facility operations. (The memo didn't have a recommendation from the City Manager on whether or not Council should approve. Nor did the Wheeler Board weigh in on the latest projections. We think both should give the public their recommendations and rationale.) 

The Red Ant loves the Wheeler and is proud of the fact that Aspen generously supports the arts. However, the expansion plan calls for an additional 100 nights a year of film, bringing the total to close to 300 nights of Wheeler films per year. For us, this begs the question of whether the public wants to focus multi-million dollar annual subsidies on films. If so, is the Wheeler subsidy the best way to do it? If the community desires to continue to subsidize the arts in multi-million dollar annual "gifts" from the public coffers, shouldn't we collectively have a discussion of how to best allocate these millions in arts program support before committing to bricks and mortar, utilities, insurance and the like?  Besides, any expansion of the Wheeler must first be approved by public vote.  

The Ant would like to see the arts community executives and community leaders come together to discuss the potential for the  best and most appropriate uses of the Wheeler funds. There are many questions and possibilities probably never seriously considered before.  Perhaps this new economic environment will drive creativity and foster discussions on ideas likely overlooked in the past. 

In the meantime, The Red Ant implores Council to STOP the expansion spending until a solid business case is made. We also hope to see the City Manager's and Wheeler Board's detailed recommendations on the case for expansion, with comments on the financial projections prior to any consideration by Council. 

* We calculate the Wheeler rough estimates of operating losses by comparing the ticketing revenues to the operating expenses. The subsidies are funded with the RETT, interest income and rental of Wheeler retail space. 

DON'T FORGET TO VOTE!
Find that mail-in ballot in your stack of mail, and send it in with your "No" vote on the IRV Advisory question. IRV is the most complex form of voting ever encountered in Colorado. The legal issues and mechanical issues are too complex and confounding for this letter. See http://theredant.squarespace.com/red-ant-blog/2009/10/12/youtube-videos-on-instant-runoff-voting-consequences.html  if you need more information on the vagaries of IRV.

 

See today's Aspen Times for Marilyn's latest letter on IRV  http://www.aspentimes.com/article/20091026/LETTER/910259982/1020/NONE&parentprofile=1061

 and how your ballot is frequently and surprisingly discarded as rubbish in IRV although you showed up at the polls

 
It's significant that Council members Romero, Skadron and Torre are now against IRV. Mayor Ireland and Councilman Johnson, both elected with IRV, are "sitting on the fence," at last report. Ireland, Romero and Skadron were all enthusiastic IRV supporters before the May election.  If there is that much ambivalence on the Council about IRV, this speaks volumes about the need to say "no" to IRV on the advisory vote so that it can be taken back to the voters in a definitive question during the next election.
Don't forget the 61 cents postage required to return your ballot!

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