LETTER: Self serving LNP blames rotten CC results on financial uncertainty

Last Thursday, LNP printed yet another one of “those” articles on its pet project,  the Lancaster Convention Center. While leaving far more questions than answers, Bernie Harris reported a “good month” for convention center finances in November and took a few shots at the local convention and visitor’s bureau.

Apparently, the LCCCA’s reserve hit a high water mark for 2012 and the 20% stolen from the CVB earlier in the year will be returned. What the article fails to address is why and for how long.

Is the increase in cash flow the result of stronger revenues, tighter expenses or fiscal-cliff related early dividends on investments they have? Is there merely a cyclical phenomenon that will reverse itself next quarter and result in little or no long-term benefit to the CVB? Do you think you could pose a few of these questions next time Bernie?

Bernie also reminds us of the CC’s own looming fiscal cliff and allows center GM Mark Moosic to pass the buck on the dismal performance of the center by blaming the financial uncertainty on his rotten results. He wants to “get past this” but his de facto employer, Penn Square Partners [in which the Lancaster Newspapers is an equal partner], does not want to do anything that involves putting in any more of their own money, even though they, along with the City, are the only beneficiaries of the project.