San Diego Magazine / October 2004 / Letters

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Letters

It is a true and human thing that all of us at times have used less than gracious language in the heat of passion or frustration. When a male uses strong language, we think he’s powerful and straight-shooting; when a woman does the same thing, she’s a devil?

IF IT’S NOT BROKEN

Larry Edwards’ column in your August issue [“Unguided Tourism,” Business] was very effective in communicating the current fractured state of affairs in the San Diego tourism community, one of our region’s largest and most important industries. Despite being fortunate enough to have one of the most widely acclaimed and honored convention and visitors bureaus in the United States in San Diego—and hotel occupancy, room-rate growth, leisure and group business any other destination could only dream of—steps have been taken to dismantle and gut San Diego’s ConVis.

And for what reason? Because ConVis is not focusing 100 percent of its attention and resources on filling hotel rooms? If you are successful at marketing the destination, it follows that hotels will reap the benefits, as about half of our visitors stay in hotels. (The other half are day visitors, or stay with friends and family.) Reading from the ConVis Web site, I noted the following self-description: “As a sales and marketing organization, the main objective of San Diego CVB is to promote and market San Diego County as a vacation destination and convention site. San Diego CVB also represents and supports the interests of the visitor industry as a whole.” Last time I looked, there are many facets of our local economy involved in the visitor industry: hotels, restaurants, attractions, transportation, arts and culture, retail and yes, even gaming.

This recent chain of events comes at a very unfortunate time for our area and our destination. The leading national tourism and hospitality industry associations and publications have seen fit to bestow numerous awards and accolades on San Diego’s ConVis as one of the best anywhere. This is due to the tremendous leadership of Reint Reinders, the board of directors, the top-notch staff and the more than 1,600 local business members of ConVis.

No organization is perfect, and everything can always be improved. But this is no way to go about it.

PATRICK FEARN
VISTA

CONVIS REVISITED

Thank you for being the first to bring salient facts to the forefront regarding the recent backdoor attacks on the San Diego Convention & Visitors Bureau. It saddens and puzzles me that the recognized best bureau in the country is being ripped apart by a few people who apparently do not have the best interests of San Diego in their hearts. This small cadre has, in turn, influenced naive city officials to make imprudent decisions.

San Diego has been lessened and will be hurt deeply if the current scenario plays out. It is hoped the convention and tourism industry will rally and reverse the current direction we are headed.

DAVID NUFFER
CHAIRMAN, SAN DIEGO CONVIS BUREAU,
1997-98
SAN DIEGO

IN A NAME

Concerning your article on the San Diego ConVis Bureau:

Pictures can be worth a thousand words. I was struck by the dichotomy of the title of the article, “Unguided Tourism,” and the imposing, tell-all chart detailing the growth of transient-occupancy tax funding in San Diego. I felt the article was fairly written but mistitled. As the chart defines in clear, nondebatable context, tourism here is growing at a rate that is the envy of most convention and visitors bureaus worldwide. ConVis’ stewardship of the tourism industry is anything but unguided.

TOM DI ZINNO
SAN DIEGO

TAKING SIDES

My forwarding a 20-year-old newspaper clip to San Diego Magazine [I on San Diego, September, by Tom Blair] regarding the infighting between a very few hoteliers and the resultant fallout on the San Diego Convention & Visitors Bureau has left a few of my industry colleagues saying, “Hey, whose side are you on?”

As a past president of both the San Diego Restaurant Association and California Hotel & Lodging Association, and a current director of ConVis, I can tell you I am firmly on the side of tourism. Larry Edwards’ column in your August issue went far in exposing the source of much of the turmoil facing ConVis and our region’s vibrant tourism industry. The attempt of a small but well-connected group of hoteliers to decimate ConVis as a way of settling a few personal scores is inappropriate and does not sit well with the majority of tourism industry professionals with whom I have spoken. Unfortunately, infighting between these hoteliers helped set the stage for the city’s drastic reduction in ConVis funding last spring.

It’s time the San Diego City Council recognizes the true motivation behind the attempts of a few “agendized” individuals to dismantle San Diego’s highly successful and award-winning visitors bureau. In addition, our council should show the tens of thousands of members of our tourism community and our friends in the arts community that it is serious about supporting tourism, the city’s third-largest employer. The council can and should show that support by appropriately funding those entities such as ConVis that give a solid return on the city’s investment of visitor-generated transient occupancy tax.

Let ConVis and the rest of the hospitality and tourism industry get out of the business of politics and back to the business of promoting San Diego, taking care of our visiting customers and leaving them thinking great things about our great city.

JOHN CAMPBELL
GENERAL MANAGER
THE MARINE ROOM
THE SEA LODGE HOTEL
LA JOLLA BEACH & TENNIS CLUB

RE-REVISITED

I read with interest your article on Con- Vis. As a board member for the past couple of years, I have worked and socialized with the ConVis staff, including Reint Reinders. I have never seen a group more enthused and dedicated than those who work under Reinders. By any objective criteria (some of which you cite in your article), ConVis is extremely successful, and its return on investment is good for San Diego’s economy and the city’s tax coffers. Notwithstanding the city’s audit of the bureau—which, by the way, found ConVis to be in “substantial compliance” with its city contract—it seems ConVis is in very good hands.

TOM LINCOLN
SAN DIEGO

BURSTING BUBBLES

The people you relied upon for information about whether the housing bubble would pop were all Realtors or representatives of Realtors [“Through the Roof” by Larry Edwards, Business, September].

Of course they will say it won’t pop like the early ’90s. Of course they will say prices will never hit $300K again. If they did, it would scare away their business. It’s like asking the used-car salesman if the car he is selling is dependable. I believe that not only is there a bubble, but it will pop hard. Recent shortages of concrete, recent high prices for lumber and the continued trade of highwage jobs for low-wage jobs all have the potential to directly or indirectly burst this bubble wide open.

Other ominous signs include the prevalence of “exotic” mortgage finance options, such as interest-only loans, and the extension of mortgage credit to more and more sub-prime borrowers. The sight of a “one-hour approval” home refinance center at Grossmont Mall, to me, is confirmation that the “irrational exuberance” of the late ’90s stock market is now a feature of the real estate market.

DAVID THATCHER
SAN DIEGO

IN THE ZONE

Like any true “Zonie,” I spent many childhood summers in Mission Beach, soaking up the sun, body surfing and completely appreciating the relief of those cooling, coastal breezes.

San Diego has been like a second home to me, so it’s extra special to be honored by your magazine [“Best Restaurants,” August]. As a cofounder of RA Sushi (on Broadway, in the historic Walker Scott Building), it is gratifying to have been selected by critic David Nelson as “Best Sushi Bar/Best Japanese.” We have built a strong reputation in our home state of Arizona, where we have five restaurants.

Since we opened in January, our goal has been to earn that same level of trust with San Diego consumers.

This recognition tells us we’re on the right track, and is much appreciated.

RICH HOWLAND
SAN CLEMENTE

MAY DAY

Thank you so much for your article on Episcopal Community Services and Amanda May [“Devil or Angel?” by Jeannette De Wyze, August]. There have long been rumors regarding misuse of funds in that agency. It is disconcerting to see such a bright, accomplished person [allegedly] succumb to corruption and nepotism. But sadly, it is in keeping with our national picture: Enron, Martha Stewart, Adelphia, etc.

I appreciate finding investigative journalism in San Diego Magazine. Your magazine is always visually beautiful and, with excellent articles, good reading. Keep up the fine work.

CONSTANCE WEXLER
SAN DIEGO

REVENGE?

I was deeply saddened by the article about the Reverend Amanda May. As a longtime friend of Amanda’s, and supporter of Episcopal Community Services, I was interviewed for the article and led to believe it would present an opportunity to counter the unfounded allegations and criticism of Episcopal Community Services and the inflammatory personal attacks on Reverend May published in The San Diego Union-Tribune during the past year.

Instead, it provided yet another opportunity for a very small group of anonymous, disgruntled employees with personal agendas to voice their complaints with ever-increasing sensationalism. I was quoted, although not by name (“She is a deeply, deeply spiritual and compassionate person. . .”) and only wish that, as I had hoped and believed, the writer would have given voice to the others interviewed who are witness to Amanda’s faith in God, strength as a spiritual leader and gifts as an administrator and visionary advocate for the poor, homeless, mentally ill, abused and marginalized in our community.

I now must publicly question what drives the ongoing attempt to discredit Reverend May and the operation of ECS. Is it personal revenge, journalistic zeal for a Pulitzer Prize, the public’s hunger for sensational coverage of those in positions of authority? Or is Reverend May’s call and concern for social justice too unsettling for some? Perhaps it is all of these. Or perhaps there is some other political motivation of which I am unaware.

What do I know is the distraction and hardship these attacks have caused for the almost 500 people who work at ECS and the 3,500 clients they faithfully serve on a daily basis. Reverend May’s ongoing leadership and dedication to Episcopal Community Services speaks to her deep integrity and unwavering dedication to her call. I speak for countless others who support her and are most thankful for her strength and generosity of heart and soul to all the people and the city of San Diego.

DEBBIE HICKSON
ENCINITAS

MORE DIS-MAY

We were extremely disappointed by the innuendoes and outright accusations leveled at the Reverend Amanda May and her ministry at Episcopal Community Services. We have personally known May for several years, since moving from Los Angeles to North County. We have had the utmost respect for the organization and the person who leads it.

Perhaps we could summarize our reaction to Ms. De Wyze’s article with a quote from a recent novel by Michael Crichton: “Modern journalism does not allow facts to get in the way of a good story.” We are appalled by the low standards of journalism here in San Diego. This article is reminiscent of the Union-Tribune’s witch hunt on May and ECS of two years ago. Back then, and again right now, there were multiple charges, which were false.

We are grieved that Episcopal Bishop Gethin Hughes gave any attention to anonymous letters accusing May of a variety of unethical and illegal actions. Your magazine requires a signature on any letter you publish, but Ms. De Wyze did not hold to that standard by using material in her article from anonymous sources.

The Reverend May has managed to turn a floundering ministry into a vibrant, dynamic organization that serves the people no one else in San Diego wants to acknowledge. Please consider her results if you really want to evaluate her ministry, rather than publish pejorative comments by disgruntled former employees. We are reminded of Jesus’ directions to his disciples as he sent them out to minister (Matthew 10:16): “See, I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves; so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.” It looks to us like May continues to be persecuted for being a wise, powerful, competent priest and woman of God. We are grateful that the loving God she serves will judge her and her works much more fairly than any of her fellow humans.

Finally, it is a true and human thing that all of us at times have used less than gracious language in the heat of passion or frustration. When a male uses strong language, we think he’s powerful and straight-shooting; when a woman does the same thing, she’s a devil? Is that another double standard?

SUSAN & DONALD CALDWELL
SAN DIEGO

GEOGRAPHY LESSON

I have been a subscriber to San Diego Magazine since 1980. Each quality issue provides something for everyone, and I always feel I’ve learned more about San Diego and the world beyond.

As someone born and bred in the Bahamas, imagine my dismay when reading “An Island to the East” [by Margie Farnsworth, September Travels supplement] and seeing my homeland referred to as “the chain of Bermuda islands.” I would like to give the author the benefit of the doubt that this was simply a typo. Too often in the past, Bermuda, Barbados and the Bahamas have been used interchangeably. Please, folks, realize that these are three separate countries, each unique and wonderful.

Ms. Farnsworth, I’m glad you enjoyed your trip to Great Exuma and the cays. Please remember to call the country by its correct name.

ISABELLE LESCHEVIN-CAREY
DEL MAR

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