8/06/2007

Tourism Official Cuts Oklahoma Wineries Out of Epcot

Your Tax Dollars At Work

At the Epcot Food & Wine Festival an estimated 1.5 million people will get a taste of Oklahoma...but NOT Oklahoma Wines.

At a cost of over $500 ,000 in Oklahoma State Taxpayer's money, some Oklahoma businesses will enjoy being the first state to be invited by the Walt Disney World Resort to showcase its cuisine and heritage at a display area during the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival. This once-in-a-lifetime business opportunity has produced a great deal of excitement in Sooner country.

However, in a year where our local government has made every effort to destroy our local wine industry, readers should not be surprised to learn of the most recent government-sponsored blow to Oklahoma's family winemakers.

You can read how our highly compensated government tourism promoters earn their money in the quote below from the Distant Creations blog:

Oklahomas wineries can't produce enough wine in such a short time for the visitors expected, Commerce and Tourism Secretary Natalie Shirley said. Dick Sias, an Oklahoman and owner of Joullian Vineyards of Carmel Valley, Calif., will provide wine that will be given away or sold at Oklahomas display, called the Oklahoma Experience. -- Full Article in the Distant Creations Blog

Sadly, Oklahoma's ability to produce political patronage jobs can continue to support parasites that sell out our state at every opportunity. No doubt the effort to continue spreading the word about the lack of Oklahoma wines will require quite a few trips to Disney World at the expense of Oklahoma taxpayers.

Here is some fun: do a quick Google search on Natalie Shirley's name and see how long it takes you to find a quote she makes supporting Oklahoma wineries.

The idea that the dozens of Oklahoma wineries cannot supply a few thousand cases of wine to this event is absurd. I don't know where she got her information, but she obviously didn't try contacting Oklahoma's wineries or OGGWMA. Maybe she found Joullian Vineyards of Carmel Valley, Calif. better suited to supply this information.

Of course, our Governor seems impressed:

"Natalie Shirley has done a terrific job as Secretary of Commerce and Tourism, and I am confident she will be as exceptional leading the Commerce Department," the Governor said. "She will be able to hit the ground running and build on Oklahoma’s recent successes in economic development." -- Full Article Online at: Oklahoma Department of Commerce

It is expected to cost about $1.2 million to develop, staff and display Oklahoma's exhibit during the festival. Tough luck for actual Oklahoma winemakers, I hope the massive press release doesn't hurt you any worse than the missed opportunity.

Technorati Tags:

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

toshiba pa3431u-brs battery
toshiba satellite m60 battery
toshiba satellite m65 battery
nec op-570-75303 battery
nec pc-vp-bp25 battery
gateway bat0016 battery
gateway motion m1200 battery
gateway motion m1300 battery
gateway gt-6300l battery

yanhong said...

If you need (or want) a computer that’s easy to take along,you can see it from nec op-570-75303 battery whcih offer the longlife and consistently reliable performance you need to get the most out of your notebook.