Harry, I agree, from an economic impact standpoint the Tournaments and events at MESA and Wenwood are wonderful for the area.
But if you look at the $1.5 million given to CESA to finish it's fields and probably pay some other bills, at a 2% Hospitality Tax rate on let's say 4000 hotel rooms filled up 8 nights a year at $80 per room, that generates $51, 200 dollars in Hospitality Tax revenue, so it will take the county over 29 years to get it's money back.
I don't mind that, because of all the other revenue generated such as hotel rooms rented, gas purchased, shopping and dining...
But what I do mind is CESA cutting local players to take an out-of-towner who is only as good and sometimes an even worse player so that they can "raid" the other Clubs and show everybody how "great they are". I have witnessed this many times over and heard from others about this same thing on many other teams. We were on a CESA State Championship Premier team one year, the next season the Coach cut 2 starters, replaced them with out-of-towners, moved the 2 former starters to the Challenge team, guess what? The next 3 years, NO State Championship.
So, if they are accepting Greenville County money, they ought to take care of Greenville County kids first!
