CORPORATE WELFARE REPORT: The J.W. Marriott Desert Springs resort is asking Palm Desert to cough up $20,000 to help keep a Tony Robbins motivational seminar from moving to Florida this year, according to the Desert Sun. Robbins's five-day "Date With Destiny" seminar will be held at the Marriott in December, but it will cost the hotel chain $250,000, including $60,000 to fly Robbins and his crew from Florida, according to the newspaper. Marriott claims the event with generate $82,000 in transient occupancy tax for the city, so the hotel chain thinks Palm Desert should come up with a $20,000 subsidy. (Robbins's company is based in San Diego, but the Reader reported in April that he is buying a $25 million home in Palm Beach.) The Palm Desert city council was to vote on the matter Wednesday, but I haven't been able to determine the outcome, if there was one. I will report it when I find out.
CORPORATE WELFARE REPORT: The J.W. Marriott Desert Springs resort is asking Palm Desert to cough up $20,000 to help keep a Tony Robbins motivational seminar from moving to Florida this year, according to the Desert Sun. Robbins's five-day "Date With Destiny" seminar will be held at the Marriott in December, but it will cost the hotel chain $250,000, including $60,000 to fly Robbins and his crew from Florida, according to the newspaper. Marriott claims the event with generate $82,000 in transient occupancy tax for the city, so the hotel chain thinks Palm Desert should come up with a $20,000 subsidy. (Robbins's company is based in San Diego, but the Reader reported in April that he is buying a $25 million home in Palm Beach.) The Palm Desert city council was to vote on the matter Wednesday, but I haven't been able to determine the outcome, if there was one. I will report it when I find out.