Tour of Missouri-gate: Keeping it real--fact & fiction about the Tour of Missouri

In speaking about the Tour of Missouri in the media recently, officials and spokespersons of Governor Nixon's office and the Division of Tourism have made a large number of statements and claims--some of which hold up to scrutiny and some of which don't.

Here are some claims--and facts to go along with them:

Claim: The Tour's economic impact studies have some serious but mysterious flaw.

Fact: The Tour's 2007 economic impact study was done by the same reputable MU researchers--associated with MU's Tourism Economics Research Initiative--who create the Division of Tourism's annual economic impact reports.  Do Tourism officials doubt all of the team's work or only the parts they don't happen to agree with?

Fact: The Tour's 2008 and 2009 economic impact studies, which agree substantially with the 2007 study, were done by IFM Sports, a global firm specializing in sports marketing research, that has extensive experience in measuring the economic impact of profession bicycle racing events around the world.

Claim: The Division of Tourism's budget was slashed so heavily they just can't afford the Tour this year.

Fact: Look, it's a tough budget year all around.  The General Assembly cut Tourism's budget by about 1/3--and also cut the Tour of Missouri's budget by 1/3.

In fact, Tourism has been planning for a $13 million budget for FY 2011 (see p. 1, bottom).  The General Assembly budgeted $13.9 for Tourism, with $1 million of that specifically appropriated for the Tour.

Investing some state money in programs that generate economic activity--like tourism and the Tour of Missouri--makes sense even in a terrible budget year.  These programs generate more tax dollars than they cost, save and create jobs, and help stimulate the economy so that next year's tax revenues won't be even worse than this year's.

Claim: The General Assembly did not make a specific appropriation for the 2010 Tour of Missouri

Fact: From the Senate Appropriations Committee's mark-up sheet for HB 2007:

Both chambers of the Missouri General Assembly debated and passed the reversal of the Division of Tourism's decision to de-allocate Tour of Missouri funds and create a specific appropriation for the 2010 Tour of Missouri.

Fact: Tour of Missouri funding was extensively debated on the floor of the House of Representatives and survived five attempts to reduce or eliminate the funding, with bipartisan support.

Claim: The Tourism Commission can simply reverse the decision of the General Assembly and remove the Tour of Missouri funding.

Fact: Perhaps they can--that is a question for the lawyers, and a serious one.

But for an appointed commission to overturn the will of the people as expressed by the clear voice of the Missouri General Assembly seems a travesty of our democratic system--especially if, as now seems likely, the Commission does so without holding a meeting with Tour officials, a full hearing, and a recorded vote.

Claim: The Tourism Commission voted against funding the Tour of Missouri last fall

Fact: According to the minutes of the Tourism Commission meeting held October 1st, 2009, discussion was held with some present expressing support of the Tour and some expressing reservations.

However the minutes of that meeting, and others held January 9th, July 10th, and November 10th, 2009, record no vote on the subject of the Tour of Missouri.

Claim: Bicycling Missouri will be here today and gone tomorrow.

Fact: Missouri's bicycling community is two million strong.  Bicycling is a $1.2 billion industry in Missouri.  Missouri bicyclists are active in their communities, vote more often than the national average, and donate to political campaigns more often than the national average.

Bicycling has been in Missouri since 1887, when the St Louis Bicycle Club was established, and Missouri's bicycling community is stronger than ever.

Bicycling racing is a fast-rising global sport.  The Tour of Missouri is one of the top two professional bicycle races in the U.S. and one of the very top in the world outside of Europe.

The Tour of Missouri has brought over $75 million in economic impact to the state of Missouri over the past three years, over $2 million in positive media attention to the Show-Me state each year, and will bring far more than that over the next three years--at far lower cost to the state--if Governor Nixon allows it to continue.