Another View On The Dome

From a good friend and longtime Rodeo volunteer:

Pete,

 

In regards to your article on the dome, having a local popular politician, and or local popular business people attach their names to the dome initiative perhaps would have helped the measure pass, but one of the larger issues is the influx of people that have moved to Houston in the last 10 years that have no prior attachment to the Dome. They have no memories of the place, zero, not only sporting events but the Rodeo as well.  Couple that with the fact that the Rodeo waited until the day before the election before they endorsed the measure.   Why county officials waited that long to ensure the Rodeo brass that they would in turn do what they are contractually obligated to do, but currently not doing is beyond me. 

 

I have great memories of the Dome, particularly the Rodeo. The Rodeo, in my opinion, has never been as good as it was when it was still in the Dome and the Astro Hall was still there.   Now in 2013, the Rodeo is out of space: they can not put on the show without an enormous amount of extra work due to the fact that they have to continue to set up and tear down at a pace that is just unimaginable to move events in and out.  Which in turn creates a nightmare situation trying to get livestock in and out as well as the other project shows in conjunction with one another. The Rodeo needs that space the Dome provides, or they are going to need space equivalent.

 

It seems to me that there's no end to the money the county throws away on various other projects. And with the appearance of not properly courting the Rodeo association, we will most likely lose a national icon for no good reason. In the grand scheme of things, relative to a county and city of this size, the $217 million was a pittance to the value that the dome could still produce.

 

And that my friend, is shameful.