A reader notes the following excerpt from the Lancaster Sunday News editorial “Not hospitable” *:
“Among other findings, the consultant noted that the convention center has created little ’spillover’ traffic for the local hotel industry, that the primary beneficiary of the center has been the adjacent Marriott hotel, which is run by Penn Square Partners, made up of High Cos. and Lancaster Newspapers, publisher of the Sunday News.”
The Lancaster Newspapers and other Convention Center sponsors had regaled the public with promises of how the proposed project would bring prosperity to downtown Lancaster, drawing business and commerce to center city. On the other hand, critics including this publication predicted exactly what has taken place.
Then, in reference to its request for currently confidential information concerning how much hotel room sales tax each hotel pays, the editorial goes on to pledge: “It has never been our intention to reveal confidential and sensitive information.” In other words, the newspapers and the Tourist Bureau should be given exclusive right to the information and the Sunday News, and only it, should determine what the public should learn? This is preposterous in its own rights and an even a greater stretch considering Lancaster Newspapers, Inc. is a co-equal partner in Penn Square Partners that owns the Marriott Hotel and thus are hardly a neutral party.
“Moreover, Mr. Ebersole certainly has been a good friend to the local hotel industry…” Shame on Marv Adams! This is a reversion to the Lancaster Newspapers besmirching the integrity of honorable public officials who raised conscientious concerns when the project was first under consideration.
We see how integrity is compromised, or so appears to be, by media conflicts of interest. Until today, the Sunday News reporting and commentary on the current Convention Center financial circumstances had been fair. We are saddened.
We recommend that Adams take a month vacation and clear his mind. His comments in today’s edition are neither representative nor worthy of him.
*The editorial is not posted at LancasterOnLine.com so no link is yet available.
If Marv wants ‘full disclosure’…let him begin by FULLY DISCLOSING the REAL reason behind this apparent thirst for information. Is it for ‘our’ benefit or for PSP?
Perhaps Marv could help his cause by FULLY DISCLOSING just how much the Marriott/PSP is profitting off of the Convention Center.
“This is a reversion to the Lancaster Newspapers besmirching the integrity of honorable public officials who raised conscientious concerns when the project was first under consideration.”
A reversion? No, I would say more of the same from the folks who once who once referred to a sitting County Commissioner as “the angel of death”…possibly the lowest of all of their lows. Watch out Mr. Ebersole, it appears the powers that be at LNP are out for your head too.