Well, you blew over a half million real fast there!

My typos (should have been corrected) are really chicken feed to your imagination!)

Well you raised the gross possible to 1.2 million due to 6 dates--are there six for sure?
The Fred used to sell out completely every series--I know I used to go for years until they started with the steel bangers and shouters at 130 db, using foul language. Old untalented dudes at that. There hasn't been 6 talented music writers among that whole 70-80s bunch--ever. (The words are useless.)

Free tickets for sponsors? Didn't they pay about 1-200,000 for those tickets for ads? More income.

You suppose they may take in income also from food and drink? If not they are crazy.

You dropped off 300K just for tickets to free ones, and added to 75 K for talent from my 40K!

$30,000 dollars for beer, Jack and dope and cold cuts backstage. Come on! OK some special meals for the sick to the stomach!

As to renting lights and sound at $60,000---wouldn't that indicate that we should invest!

Ushers at $11.000; cleanup at $6000 (don't the town have guys?); Maintenance and lights at 50,000: WOW. Expensive power--don't we have maintenance people?

Your kind of calculating is what invents jobs not needed and wastes money.

We don't need anyone who wants $75,000 to spend a full 30 hours with us!

Might take a little more work and connections but good talent is available for $40,000.

Just because you are a city doesn't mean you don't pay for electricity. It still cost money to turn the lights on. That's fine if you don't think $75000 is a fair price. I would be inclined to agree. But you'll have to settle for acts that are out dated and not interesting. When that happens people will complain about the acts. If it's not the talent it's the money. You can't have your cake and eat it too. If you know of good talent available for $40,000 please contact the people at The Fred. Fill out the survey that is going around. They would love to find top notch acts for $40,000 that people would pay money to see. Thanks for bringing up maintenance people. They get paid too, forgot about that one. That money has to come from somewhere, city employees get paid too. True, they probably use city employees to clean up, and yes, they get paid as well. And concert quality lights and sound systems are very expensive and have to be run by trained professionals. Local teenagers and middle aged women with nothing better to do couldn't do it. If you want it to look and sound right you've got to have the right equipment and operators. My guess is the people who do their sound and lights have invested a lot of money into equipment just for The Fred. In the long run it is better to go with and outside company because you will always have the latest and best equipment, and the outsource company eats the cost.

Bonkers, I was over at The Smoking Gun, trying to see just how much the acts at the Fred actually cost. Didn't find hard numbers, but some of the requirements that the performers had were pretty stiff!

Chuck Berry required a penthouse suite at a 5 star hotel and a $200 a day meal allowance (he'll provide receipts).

Wayne Newton demanded unlimited complimentary room service at his hotel.

Kansas required a "female volunteer" to sell Kansas T-shirts for one hour after the show. Plus, they required one quart of prune juice backstage!

Kenny Rogers demanded 60 free tickets between rows 2 and 10 plus a table for 8 off to the side for his wife. He also demanded a professional drycleaner onsite at 2 pm before a show and no uniformed police officers between himself and the audience.

The Beach Boys demanded a masseuse backstage.

These costs add up!!

You didn't find any "hard" numbers for the acts, nor any soft one either.
That seems to be "Top Secret" as was all other details of that operation! It is what NO OPENESS gets us!

A quart of prune juice and a masseuse doesn't cost $60,000.
There are NO 5 STAR Penthouses anywhere near here for Chuck Berry!

How much did that female volunteer cost to sell t-shirts? $1,000?

Yes, town employes do work for the town, and they get paid whether there is a show or not! I think their hours are flexible.

What is the purpose in defending such outrageous spending?

should be leased to a private firm or even sold so as to get the city out of the retail business. Peachtree City has proven itself incapable of effectively managing much of anything over the past twenty years, so why would providing city oversight to these two entities be an exception?

The sale or lease would be an instant revenue plus up for the city with the additional benefit of lowering operating costs. The hiring of the Amphitheatre Manager is a step in the right direction, but who is to say that she will not abandon the Fred for greener pastures? After all, this is the manner in which she came.

Ownership or a long term proprietary arrangement for these city venues is a better alternative.

Just my two cents worth.

No Mike, that has never worked anywhere to make any money for a city!

Atlanta owns the Airport but has never gotten a dime out of it for their budget! It goes, if any profit is shown, for more capital, or more equipment, or more, more. Never a dime to Atlanta.

Movies never make any money for anyone except those who get paid as they go---they always show a loss at the end---even Potter!

That is why it would be important to have a recreation director who knows what he or she is doing! It is a big operation but should pay their salary and cost of operation at least.
However the Mayors, town managers, council people, etc., need to stay out of it just like they stay out of the Police department. (or do they).

Give the person a raise or fire them if they don't accomplish the above. Just like they do Generals--I hope!

And I assure you, there is not that much of a surplus right now. Why do you think they made a move and brought in a new director?

I enjoy the shows, and I'm not TOO picky about the talent myself. Where else can I enjoy a nice golf cart ride to a concert less than 1 mile from my house? No parking fees, no traffic to speak of...just good times.

All in all, I like the direction this new director seems to be taking the Fred.

Have you seen them spy? What were they?
How can I see them?
I thought they were mixed with the Tennis Center? (for a purpose).

Don't ever forget it. IT'S ALL ONE BIG CONSPIRACY!!

I can't think of any worth seeing at their prices within the last ten years!
Usher, you mean, maybe? (about $100,000)
50 cent, maybe?
Studdard, maybe?
The odd kid who won Talent show, name escapes me?

Genius talent has no age!

You and Nit and $$$ can sit at home and listen to the voices in your head.

I'm just fed up with gittar plunkers that make em whine while they yell sumthang one can't decipher without a play sheet!

Drinks, weed, and pills before and after keep em goin.

I want to thank you for taking the time to visit us at the restaurant. I do hope everything was satisfactory. We have been struggling in this faltering economy and need all the support we can get.

I am in the process of putting together a coat or toy drive at Latitude 33. I spent the morning looking into charity organizations like the Fayette Samaritans, Fayette Youth Protection Homes, Christian City, and the Atlanta Union Mission. Then it occurred to me...why not conduct a toy drive to benefit Wulfman's Wish.

I need to find out which charity it is that Wulfman wishes to donate to and I may need a couple of empty 55 gallon drums to use for donations. We, the restaurant, would like to offer a discount (maybe 10% off entire check) to anyone bringing in toy or coat donation.

If you or Cy can let me know which charity - I will be glad to get the ball rolling with this. Maybe Cal would have this info at the office of the Citizen.

Anyone with any questions or info can contact me at the restaurant 770-461-0200. I am usually there after 2:30 everyday. Ask for me by Shannon.

That's your restaurant? Very cool!

We'll stop by this week for lunch or dinner. We'll be bouncing off the walls soon and in need of an escape, since the kids are out of school all week.

btw - do y'all serve wine/beer or martini's??