Letter To The Editor: Rec Bond … Facts Not Factions

By TOM TIERNEY
Los Alamos

I found it an interesting curiosity that Tony Fox and Darren Meadows accused me of Falsehoods without providing any factual counter-arguments. (link)

In my prior letter, I voiced my concern that the County’s proposed Recreation Center would probably result in small business failures because the County would be competing unfairly with existing small businesses. My expressed concerns were rooted in the City of Santa Fe data that shows numerous business closures occurred when the Genoveva Chavez Community Center was created.

My observations are based on the following City of Santa Fe data from the Census Bureau and Bureau of Labor Statistics:

Prior to the GCCC opening in 2002, there were 16 tax-paying businesses registered as Fitness Centers and 45 businesses registered as private Fitness Trainers and Aerobics Instructors. In 2007, the number of businesses dropped to 14 fitness centers and 32 trainers and instructors. By 2012, the data shows continued negative impact on private industry with only 12 fitness centers and 27 trainers and instructors registered.

So, to be clear: I do not have any association with the PACs that are active on this topic. The County of Los Alamos has not presented any credible market analysis on the economic impact of its proposal. Given Santa Fe’s larger population, the impact of GCCC upon the private fitness industry in Santa Fe is almost certainly less than the likely impact on similar businesses in Los Alamos. I am concerned by the long-term implications this bond will have on the small business community in Los Alamos.

I simply believe in Facts not Factions.

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