The last time I went to MiddFest it was poorly attended, the buildings were cover in bird poop and the smell of the sewers downtown were ripe. Vendors complained that they were being overcharged for space and could not make any money.
Several years ago a MiddFest worker told me they were ashamed to bring the visiting country into Middletown because it looked so bad. He laughed and said that next year they were going to blindfold the visitors, bring them into town under the cloak of darkness or fly them into Hook Field so they couldn’t see the condition of the City.
PLEEZE.....This has nothing to do with ROI…

Excerpts:

“In some cases, such as Middletown’s Middfest,city contributions have dropped to zero.”

But inMidFest’s case, have they really dropped to zero??? Or have the taxpayerscontinued to provide things such as police coverage (including overtime),utilities, and event set-up???

“It’s a depressing story,” said Virginia Ritan, chairwomanof Middfest. “There aren’t many alternatives in our particular area. It’s atough time.”

Here’sa thought:  FUNDRAISING EVENTS!!!  Just as with the Historic Society and othergroups around town, why do you think that there is no other source of fundingother than the TAXPAYERS???  If youreally think that yours is such a worthy cause, go out and do some FUNDRAISING!!!  Sure…dipping into the public trough is easier…butit is NOT the ONLY way.  Witness theWaynesville Sauerkraut Festival (arguably the most successful festival in thearea), which, according to The Journal article:

“The Sauerkrautfestival, which fills the streets of Waynesville during a two-day weekend everyOctober does not receive any financial support from the village of Waynesvilleand pays for police overtime and electric use, said Chamber head DawnSchroeder.”

Chargea fee for booth space.  Get corporatesponsors.  Have fundraisers during therest of the year.  Heck, raffle off hams,food baskets, gift certificates to local supermarkets and restaurants. Hire theKnights of Columbus to run a blackjack tent. If you really think that this event is worthwhile, find a way to make itpay its own way!!!

“Mulligansaid he can understand how festivals can be seen as an economic developmenttool but doesn’t believe they necessarily make the return on investment necessaryto keep funding them.”

Onone hand, it would be easy to say that Mulligan, a bank vice president, doesn’tunderstand the term “return on investment” (ROI), given the lousy ROI we haverealized on the “investments” that have been made with Middletonians’ moneyunder his watch.  But on the other hand,he certainly seems to understand the personal “return” he and his friends mayrealize on the “investment” of Middletown’s taxpayers’ “investments”, and theyare too numerous to mention.  (Theyinclude the “period” fake gas lamppost lighting.  Can anyone document the “period” when therewere gas street lampposts on South Main Street—or any other street inMiddletown for that matter???  I haveresearched over a thousand photographs of early Middletown and have found apicture of only ONE single gas street lamppost, in front of the original Oglesby-Barnitz Bank building, and that gas light appeared to be PRIVATELY—not publicly--owned and operated!!!  It’s too bad that ourhistory-loving citizens couldn’t learn a lesson from that history and provide their OWNfake gas lights in front of their properties, instead of mooching electricityoff the taxpayers.)

From the MJ:

Cities cut giving taxpayer money to festivals

http://www.middletownjournal.com/news/middletown-news/cities-cut-giving-taxpayer-money-to-festivals-1320992.html