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The boondoggle known as the Alabama Music Hall of Fame (AMHOF) has continuously had trouble finding money to stay afloat. The latest idea is to "re-brand the thing (See link).

The AMHOF was established through a constitutional amendment that provided only one way for the thing to be funded, namely through the sale of bonds. But, falling on hard times, thw AMHOF for a time wheedled money direct from the legislature to fund ongoing activities. The "justification" for this, as 'splained by the Director of the AMHOF, was that the voters (i.e. taxpayers) of Alabama approved the constitutional amendment establishing the AMHOF amd that, therefore the voters and their legislative representatives should all be in favor of unloading general fund money to prop the failing thin up. That "explanation is BOGUS. In truth, what the voters approved was a system of bond issuances to fund the AMHOF and that was all. The amendment contained absolutely nothing that woudl have suggested to the voters that the AMHOF would later come back to the legislature begging to be bailed out.

To the AMHOF's credit, they have sometimes bitten the bullet and staged fund-raising concerts to boost their budget. Still, one wonders what the long-term prospects for this struggling enterprise will be.

I have never seen any attendance statistics for the AMHOF, but I have driven past the thing dozens of times and have never seen more than a handful of cars in the parking lot. Some of their clientele might be from visits by school kids hauled in on group trips It would be interseting to see the figures.

http://www.timesdaily.com/arti...all-of-fame-s-appeal
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Yep!...another example of "lobbying" by a group, dedicated to a cause, that only really matters to them.
While the Shoals has a rich musical heritage, the people whom live here take it for granted.
This should have been considered before any funds were allocated for the building/upkeep of the HOF. Did they actually think people were going to flock here?
Yes, the HOF could stand alone, IF they had any type of promotions going on throughout the year...and they could, but why bother, when you can be funded by the state, without much effort.
I guess it's not much worse as an attraction than the Coon Dog Cemetery.... But seriously, they don't have the money to build the concert hall? And they expect to raise that revenue through the museum? Sounds like a backwards plan from the get-go. They should have built a concert venue then added a museum if/when they raised enough money. What few concerts I've seen advertised for the HOF are mostly for washed-up has-beens that are on break from Branson.
I would like to see this area take advantage of the college scene. College kids will always find the money for a good concert. Problem is that the powers that be would rather bill this area as a retirement community and we all know where that has gotten us.

Get a good bar district near the college, and start promoting concerts that interest the younger crowd and I'll bet they could raise some serious cash for the area including AMHOF.
quote:
Originally posted by Jankinonya:
I would like to see this area take advantage of the college scene. College kids will always find the money for a good concert. Problem is that the powers that be would rather bill this area as a retirement community and we all know where that has gotten us.

Get a good bar district near the college, and start promoting concerts that interest the younger crowd and I'll bet they could raise some serious cash for the area including AMHOF.


I totally agree with you on this one.The college crowd is a huge market for this area.It is simply stunning that our local leaders havn't noticed this.That reminds me of a thread maybe one to two years ago in which one of our local curmudgeons complained about the college students hanging out at the coffee house on Friday and Saturday nights.How dare they stay up til 11:00 pm on a weekend drinking coffee and talking.This mentality in this area has got to change if we want progress here.
quote:
Originally posted by Jankinonya:
I would like to see this area take advantage of the college scene. College kids will always find the money for a good concert. Problem is that the powers that be would rather bill this area as a retirement community and we all know where that has gotten us.

Get a good bar district near the college, and start promoting concerts that interest the younger crowd and I'll bet they could raise some serious cash for the area including AMHOF.


For this to happen, two things would need to happen first:

(1) The entire govt throughout the shoals would have to be replaced and
(2) Satan would have to invest in a snowsuit.

This place is run by folks that dont want it to change. They like it like it is and, as long and the budgets balence and they keep getting paid, they are going to keep things going as is.....

Kirk
quote:
Originally posted by mekirk2:
quote:
Originally posted by Jankinonya:
I would like to see this area take advantage of the college scene. College kids will always find the money for a good concert. Problem is that the powers that be would rather bill this area as a retirement community and we all know where that has gotten us.

Get a good bar district near the college, and start promoting concerts that interest the younger crowd and I'll bet they could raise some serious cash for the area including AMHOF.


For this to happen, two things would need to happen first:

(1) The entire govt throughout the shoals would have to be replaced and
(2) Satan would have to invest in a snowsuit.

This place is run by folks that dont want it to change. They like it like it is and, as long and the budgets balence and they keep getting paid, they are going to keep things going as is.....

Kirk


Sad but true.
quote:
Originally posted by Jankinonya:
quote:
Originally posted by mekirk2:
quote:
Originally posted by Jankinonya:
I would like to see this area take advantage of the college scene. College kids will always find the money for a good concert. Problem is that the powers that be would rather bill this area as a retirement community and we all know where that has gotten us.

Get a good bar district near the college, and start promoting concerts that interest the younger crowd and I'll bet they could raise some serious cash for the area including AMHOF.


For this to happen, two things would need to happen first:

(1) The entire govt throughout the shoals would have to be replaced and
(2) Satan would have to invest in a snowsuit.

This place is run by folks that dont want it to change. They like it like it is and, as long and the budgets balence and they keep getting paid, they are going to keep things going as is.....

Kirk


Sad but true.


Post of the Year.
There is some GREAT real estate just accross the bridge in Sheffield, where the yellow Cash building is now. That used to be a club for college students, if I remember right. I would love to see a Mellow Mushroom, or something similiar, go in there. Anything along that row other than the cash advance leaches that have popped up.

Another great area would be just on the other side of the bridge, by longshore. Close enough to PD to help control the craziness. Easy access from the college. Enough cleaning up of the area could make for a good walk back to campus afterwards.

Kirk
Yeah, saw some great bands play over at the Dizzy Rabbit/Club 13-whatever persona it was at the time. The last band I saw over there was the Fabulous Thunderbirds. Played a great show to about 50 people that night.

Only problem with the Longshore area is that about 10-15 years ago it was re-designated as the Harbor District with specific requirements of what could go in there. Frowner
quote:
Originally posted by mekirk2:
quote:
Originally posted by uwsoftball:

Only problem with the Longshore area is that about 10-15 years ago it was re-designated as the Harbor District with specific requirements of what could go in there. Frowner


Leave it to our politicians, there doesnt seem to be anything going up in there.....


Well it's one of "twixt and tween" issues. It had to be done to get the Federal Funds to re-do the harbor and you got to admit (for the most part) the harbor looks great now.

The Heart Center was slated to go in where the old VW/Audi dealership was but it got caught up in the designation.

We just need some brave souls (with money) to in down there and put in a Lulu's. Got Jimmy's phone number???? LOL
quote:
Originally posted by uwsoftball:
Well it's one of "twixt and tween" issues. It had to be done to get the Federal Funds to re-do the harbor and you got to admit (for the most part) the harbor looks great now.

The Heart Center was slated to go in where the old VW/Audi dealership was but it got caught up in the designation.

We just need some brave souls (with money) to in down there and put in a Lulu's. Got Jimmy's phone number???? LOL


Yes, it does look good. As Florence City Council has already shown, they can do as they wish when it comes to things they want done. The landfill and the recent rezoning comes to mind.

If they wanted some of it zoned differently, it would be done. However, a club district would go against everything that the folks with the checkbooks believe (and Im not talking about the council members.) Someone with some money would have to do more with it than put in a Lulu's....
quote:
Originally posted by lawguy07:
quote:
Originally posted by MrPepper:
Do you really want a bunch of rock concerts in this area and the trash they will bring to our town? It will be nothing but trouble and drugs and alcohol.


Perhaps a revival of the Lawrence Welk orchestra would be better?


You'll probably be the first one lighting up a doobie there too.

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