Texas Fencing Center

[JEC]

Over the past few months in San Antonio, a group of parents led by Mr. Ed Kelley, have been working and lobbying for a proposal to the Bexar County Commissioner to allocate funding for construction of a city-wide Fencing facility.

Thus far, the persistent work led to inclusion of $ 2 million of proposed funding for the Texas Fencing Center within the Venue Tax Extension proposition. If approved by Bexar county voters in May '08, the facility would be built in a city-owned park with existing parking and might be ready early in '09.

Today, January 4th, 2008, the Bexar County commissioners approved the $415 million package of the Venue Tax Extension Proposition that will be presented to voters in May '08. The package includes $80 million request for Amateur Athletic Facilities including the $2 million allocated for the TFC. The package is financed by continuing existing taxes on tourists (hotel occupation, car rentals, etc.). Most of the $415 million are used to improve or develop touristic facilities (i.e.: Riverwalk improvements, art center and museum, and other cultural and sport facilities). The original venue tax proposal was passed in 1999 by overwhelming voter support. It is a popular tax because it taxes very little Bexar county residents.

Now, it is up to the Bexar County Voters.

If it passes, the Texas Fencing Center will be a relatively monster facility with up to 20 electric strips and plenty of parking (and an outdoor pool) at the Time Warner Park. Parking and existing land were the contribution to the project while the $2 million will be to build the facility itself. We will be doing some fundraising to improve the quality of the facility. Our coach, Paul Pesthy, is very happy about the possibilities for fencing growth within San Antonio.

The person who should get the credit his persistent work developing and lobbying for this proposal is Mr. Ed Kelley.

This is a link to the existing park: http://www.theparkonline.com/Main_About.html/ The Time Warner Park was known until recently Ancira Sports Park.

San Antonio Express News from Dec. 5th: http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/met....6b275550.html

San Antonio Express News from Dec. 9th: http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/met....7fb20a73.html

San Antonio Express News from Jan. 4th: http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/met...y.28a14c7.html

Bexar County site on community venues: http://www.bexar.org/communityvenues/

http://www.bexar.org/communityvenues...esentation.pdf

KSAT TV station: http://www.ksat.com/news/14893911/detail.html

San Antonio Business Journal story: http://www.bizjournals.com/sanantoni...1564524&page=1

[jjefferies]

Leave it to Texans to think big. BUT...
1. Any idea of how they will determine who is going to run/control it? Wait till you get two or more coaches all wanting to go their own way and arguing for their time slots.
2. I remember getting bitten by that venue tax when I went to a NAC. It was a real pain.
3. I thought the church advertisement on the paper's website was the tackimost.

[JEC]

Leave it to Texans to think big. BUT...
1. Any idea of how they will determine who is going to run/control it? Wait till you get two or more coaches all wanting to go their own way and arguing for their time slots.
2. I remember getting bitten by that venue tax when I went to a NAC. It was a real pain.
3. I thought the church advertisement on the paper's website was the tackimost.

A1: There will be a board of trustees who will oversee the management of the location. The venue tax only provides for funds to build a facility, not to run it. The key is of this type of facility, is that we could attract a set of elite coaches.

A2: I travel a lot for business, and San Antonio venue tax is not too bad. Relatively speaking, it remains a relatively cheap city to visit and to live.

A3: Agree

[rdg]

20 electric strips and plenty of parking (and an outdoor pool)

I love fencing, and I hate taxes. Some poor SOB is working his a** of to provide San Antonio with a facility way beyond any need.

How about you red staters consider using private money. It is what us blue staters do 'cause we're always throwing money away on that liberal welfare (a.k.a poor people). Isn't the Texas axium private industry is better the government intervention?

Twenty strip, what pork.

Sam

[oiuyt]

The key is the poor SOB is from somewhere else -- the funding comes from a tax targetted at the tourism trade. I see how it could be quite easy to convince voters to tax "someone else" and use the proceeds to build stuff "here."

-B

[leftyboy]

Twenty strip, what pork.

And the pool the barrel to keep it in.

[rdg]

We could play bobbing for pork.

Sam

[Capt. Slo-mo]

It is a popular tax because it taxes very little Bexar county residents.

Would it raise more money to tax very big Bexar County residents?

Brrrump-ching!

But seriously, folks...

Actually, that sounds like a super facility. Best of luck with the voters!

[KD5MDK]

It's probably worth pointing out that this isn't a new tax, it's extending an existing tax that's scheduled to expire.

[Durando]

Over the past few months in San Antonio, a group of parents led by Mr. Ed Kelley, have been working and lobbying for a proposal to the Bexar County Commissioner to allocate funding for construction of a city-wide Fencing facility.

Awesome. It is exactly this kind of large-scale initiative that has potential to improve U.S. fencing on a nationwide level. I hope it works out, is properly administered and staffed, and makes a splash beyond the fencing world. A center like this will make its own publicity. Best of luck. Way to work, S.A.

[JEC]

I didn't hear people complaining about Richmond city tax at the last NAC-C, the Atlanta city tax that we will be paying for the NAC-D, or at the Charlotte JO's. As city taxes go, this is not unusually expensive. It was implemented in 1999 and it is set to expire because the revenue was used to built a sporting venue, the AT&T Center. The main (but not only) tenant of the facility is the NBA Champions San Antonio Spurs. Part of the tax will be use to upkeep this facility. The proposal is to extend this existing tax (No NEW taxes).

The criteria for the use of the proposed extension for this tax is that it pays for building or improving touristic facilities (cultural or sporting). A fencing facility like this, could hold regional tournaments, camps, and even perhaps single weapon NACs. I also want to point out that by the time the facility might be fully operational, our children will be in fencing in college teams.

The TFC facility would be about giving a greater exposure and opportunity for fencing among San Antonio youth. Those of you who have been involved in college application process know that having fenced for several years during high school is viewed by selection committees as evidence of persistence and maturity. The facility would allow San Antonio youth to have better opportunities.

One of the proposed projects is a regional/national aquatic center. The National Association was supporting that initiative. They were talking that only San Diego has a similar facility and this would be a their 2nd national facility. I have not seen USFA doing lobbying for a National training center, where elite athletes train a week every month. However, it might just be that I do not know about their lobbying efforts.

Lastly, everybody complains about pork in government. As a citizen that has lobbyied for several causes at Congress, this is our way of government. Surprised! Did you think that the guys you elect are truly doing just the right choices for the country? They need to go back to their districts and show that they brought federal money to their districts. Many of those projects are just pork.

[edew]

To paraphrase what some person once said, "It's pork, but it's our pork!"

[KD5MDK]

No, you conjugate it:

Our economic development funding,
Your unnecessary assistance,
Their pork

[fencerbill]

San Antonio historically was the home of the Pentathlon team at, I believe, an Army facility. I believe the new facility will have a pool also.

Is there any effort to getting the full spectrum of Pentathlon activities? You could probably get Team Hurley to support it.

If you could get a running track and an indoor shooting range, you would have at least 4 of the 5 pentathlon activities. All but one of the sports would be better than having them all scattered all over the map.

[JEC]

San Antonio historically was the home of the Pentathlon team at, I believe, an Army facility.

There have been some discussions about it. Some individuals within the military indicated recently that (independent of TFC) they were considering returning to San Antonio. The presence of a facility such as the TFC might be a catalyst for them. The park is sitting in 56 acres, so there might be room for additional facilities and/or expansion of the TFC.

[Joe biebel]

As exciting as this might be to some, I wonder what the impact to other programs in the area might be? For a local government to do something like this is exciting, to say the least, but, what about other "competing" programs, funded as private enterprise, without the benefit of underwriting by the same tax dollars. I agree that the local government can do this, but should they?

[epeemike81]

A1: There will be a board of trustees who will oversee the management of the location. The venue tax only provides for funds to build a facility, not to run it. The key is of this type of facility, is that we could attract a set of elite coaches.

I have my doubts that the facility would in and of itself attract elite coaches. is there money provided in this proposal to fund said coaches? if not, what's the motivation for a coach to leave their established student base and start over building a new one?

-m

[dekko]

The key is the poor SOB is from somewhere else -- the funding comes from a tax targetted at the tourism trade. I see how it could be quite easy to convince voters to tax "someone else" and use the proceeds to build stuff "here."

-B

Glad to see a potential future US Fencing officer is being positive and upbeat about the incresible developement. Good job B, glad your on board.

[dekko]

On a positive note, I hope this happens for you guys and it goes and becomes everything it can be. I really hope it works becuase if it does everyone can use it as a blueprint for the potential of having the same situation happen for them in their community.

[Durando]

I agree that the local government can do this, but should they?

Yes. Local governments have quite an important stake in tourism. The proposed project would put San Antonio on the national map in yet another special way.

My question to you is if the citizens of S.A. are willing to foot the bill for such a center, why make a philosophical protest about a project that will more surely raise the national profile of the sport more than visor masks and five minutes of TV coverage every four years ever could?

Sorry, Joe, this is a really sore spot with me. Americans seem convinced that they are the most taxed people on earth even as their infrastructure is falling down around their ears. Worse, they have ridden that trope so hard that the role of public works projects benefiting culture and sport are routinely laughed out of all levels of legislature. Lighten up and eat a little pork--it's less than half a piglet compared to what gets spent on defense....