"Speak Out" is an expression of opinion from the Editorial Board of WBTV, and is presented by General Manager, Nick Simonette.
Suppose you ran a corporation that was constantly losing money.
After awhile, you got tired of telling your stock holders just how bad the losses were.
So, you made the executive decision to stop reporting the numbers.
Maybe that would end the grousing.
Sounds like a plan.
Oh, and if one of your stock holders called you on this decision, you'd say this actually makes your corporation MORE transparent with its reporting, not less.
Think that might raise a few eyebrows?
Well, that's in essence what the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority, or CVRA, has decided to do.
They don't want to report how much the NASCAR Hall of Fame is losing month after month, year after year.
Same for the Convention Center, Bojangles' Arena, and Ovens Auditorium – city-owned buildings that, like the CVRA, are supported by taxpayers.
Profit and loss numbers will now be shifted into categories known as "Market," "Manage," and "Maximize."
True, we should still be able to get a feel for how well, or not well, the CVRA is doing its job.
But this change of philosophy just sounds like a giant shell game designed to camouflage bad news.
If you think things should be done differently, visit the Speak Out page at wbtv.com for the CRVA contact information.
Because WBTV is "On Your Side," we encourage everyone to "Speak Out" – tell us what YOU think. SpeakOut@wbtv.com.
