By Dale J. Veturini
President & CEO of the Rhode Island Hospitality & Tourism Association
On November 7th, Rhode Island voted down the amendment to change our state’s constitution in a 63% to 37% landslide. It was a great victory for the people of Rhode Island and for the state’s hospitality and tourism industry. The Rhode Island Hospitality and Tourism Association was one of the earliest and most vocal opponents to the casino because of the impact the casino will have on the State’s restaurant, lodging, entertainment and tourism industries.
Winning a battle of this scale is not done by one individual. It is the effort of hundreds, even thousands, of individuals who spent countless hours knocking on doors, leafleting neighborhoods, distributing information to customers, writing checks, and talking to anyone who will listen. As president and CEO of RIHTA, I am honored to represent such an amazing group of business owners and employees who gave this campaign their heart and soul.
As with most professional organizations that represent a broad based group of businesses and individuals, not all members agreed with the Association’s position. As with any position the Association takes, RIHTA encourages all members to make up their own mind on where they stand on any issue and how best to protect their business.
The campaign was one of the most expensive and ugliest campaigns on record. Never before has an issue so energized the public or captured the media’s interest. Harrah’s and the pro-casino groups spent more than $15 million, where as Save Our State, the anti-casino coalition of which the Rhode Island Hospitality and Tourism Association was a founding member, spent nearly $4 million.
Accusations and mud slinging reached new heights as both sides leveled charges against the other. It pitted neighbor against neighbor, friend against friend, and unfortunately, colleague against colleague. Respect is a word that often gets thrown to the side of the road during campaigns. It can even be said that respect has no place in politics. And, this campaign was no exception.
It was a game of he said, she said. It was a personal fight for many, with battle lines drawn not in sand, but in permanent marker. Professional differences turned into personal attacks.
On any given day, open any of the daily newspapers across the State and there was at least one, if not more, stories related to the casino, as well as numerous editorials and letters to the editor on one side of the issue or the other. The airwaves were filled with casino debates, often with the talk show hosts as passionate about the issue as their listeners, and TV cameras all too eager to show up to any press event that either side held in hopes of capturing a confrontation between the two sides. Both the pro and anti-casino groups were all too eager to feed the media frenzy with PR stunts in the attempt to grab the day’s headline from the other.
On November 8th, we woke up with a victory. Now we have to find a way to work together again, no matter which side of the issue we stood. As difficult as that may prove to be, we have to find a way to mend fences, heal wounds, and move on to protect and promote the hospitality and tourism industry and Association members. The day will come when we will need to stand side-by-side on another battle, and if this campaign has taught us anything, it is the power of the hospitality industry and the impact we have on defining public debate.
Membership in the Association is not limited to the Association’s lobbying efforts or public positions. Membership offers businesses a wealth of cost-saving benefits, including discounts on employee training programs, membership to national trade organizations, and access to cost-saving programs. Perhaps the greatest benefit of membership is the public’s understanding that membership associates your business with the very best in the industry. That is more valuable than any election outcome.
President & CEO of the Rhode Island Hospitality & Tourism Association
On November 7th, Rhode Island voted down the amendment to change our state’s constitution in a 63% to 37% landslide. It was a great victory for the people of Rhode Island and for the state’s hospitality and tourism industry. The Rhode Island Hospitality and Tourism Association was one of the earliest and most vocal opponents to the casino because of the impact the casino will have on the State’s restaurant, lodging, entertainment and tourism industries.
Winning a battle of this scale is not done by one individual. It is the effort of hundreds, even thousands, of individuals who spent countless hours knocking on doors, leafleting neighborhoods, distributing information to customers, writing checks, and talking to anyone who will listen. As president and CEO of RIHTA, I am honored to represent such an amazing group of business owners and employees who gave this campaign their heart and soul.
As with most professional organizations that represent a broad based group of businesses and individuals, not all members agreed with the Association’s position. As with any position the Association takes, RIHTA encourages all members to make up their own mind on where they stand on any issue and how best to protect their business.
The campaign was one of the most expensive and ugliest campaigns on record. Never before has an issue so energized the public or captured the media’s interest. Harrah’s and the pro-casino groups spent more than $15 million, where as Save Our State, the anti-casino coalition of which the Rhode Island Hospitality and Tourism Association was a founding member, spent nearly $4 million.
Accusations and mud slinging reached new heights as both sides leveled charges against the other. It pitted neighbor against neighbor, friend against friend, and unfortunately, colleague against colleague. Respect is a word that often gets thrown to the side of the road during campaigns. It can even be said that respect has no place in politics. And, this campaign was no exception.
It was a game of he said, she said. It was a personal fight for many, with battle lines drawn not in sand, but in permanent marker. Professional differences turned into personal attacks.
On any given day, open any of the daily newspapers across the State and there was at least one, if not more, stories related to the casino, as well as numerous editorials and letters to the editor on one side of the issue or the other. The airwaves were filled with casino debates, often with the talk show hosts as passionate about the issue as their listeners, and TV cameras all too eager to show up to any press event that either side held in hopes of capturing a confrontation between the two sides. Both the pro and anti-casino groups were all too eager to feed the media frenzy with PR stunts in the attempt to grab the day’s headline from the other.
On November 8th, we woke up with a victory. Now we have to find a way to work together again, no matter which side of the issue we stood. As difficult as that may prove to be, we have to find a way to mend fences, heal wounds, and move on to protect and promote the hospitality and tourism industry and Association members. The day will come when we will need to stand side-by-side on another battle, and if this campaign has taught us anything, it is the power of the hospitality industry and the impact we have on defining public debate.
Membership in the Association is not limited to the Association’s lobbying efforts or public positions. Membership offers businesses a wealth of cost-saving benefits, including discounts on employee training programs, membership to national trade organizations, and access to cost-saving programs. Perhaps the greatest benefit of membership is the public’s understanding that membership associates your business with the very best in the industry. That is more valuable than any election outcome.
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