I received a press release from Asheville’s Parks, Recreation and Cultural Arts Department advertising a trip to Savannah and Atlanta. Reservations go for $565 per person and include travel, meals, double-occupancy accommodations, and sightseeing for five days. The deal is part of the city’s Prime Time Travel Program for senior citizens. In other words, municipal government is collecting money to stimulate the economy of other cities. Likely, there is reciprocity, but is Asheville running the program at a profit, or are the soft intangibles of the rich cultural exchange well worth any investment?
Remember, Asheville needs new taxing districts to take care of sanitation and public safety because its public funds are spread so thin.
