Rolling Stones in Rome: the Mayor in the storm for low revenues

“Thanks to the Rolling Stones concert at the Circus Maximus, “Rome today has about 60,000 people over the 10-20,000 Romans who came to this event. Persons who have gone to the hotel restaurants, which have taken a taxi, an ice cream and have determined a gain for the city of EUR 25 million in one day. “ (Ignazio Marino, Mayor of Rome, RaiNews24)

foto di http://www.digitaliabank.it

So, 25 million divided by 60,000 is € 416.7 average expenditure for a night on the town for each of the spectators, if … we admitted that no one found a bed by friends, that no one else come back in late at night and, that above all want to find a 4-5 star hotel.
If Ignazio Marino believes in these numbers, blessed him and us poor, but the accounts should be made in another way, because he’s about the mayor of Rome Capital in default and not the representative of the local sellers.

In fact, it’s umbelievable how it was possible for the City of Rome, to rent for only 7,934 Euros the entire Circus Maximus (along 621 meters and width 118) to the  concert, if Rolling Stones – only to sleep – have spent twice, at the Regis Hotel, in a mega-suite from 14,000 € per night. Especially if you take into account that the concession is implicit that all the photos and movies taken in the scenario of the Circus Maximus can be reused without any benefit for Roma Capitale.

At the Capitol, after over a year of this administration, they try to justify themselves by explaining that the price was calculated by deducing rates established for the occupation of public land and that they ‘already’ were planning to increase them.
But, among other things, there are pocket costs: for example, law enforcement, emergency services and health  inside and outside of the ‘red area’ – that between Via dei Cerchi- Via di S. Teodoro, Via dei Cerchi-Piazza di Porta Capena, Aventine Avenue, Avenue of the Circus Maximus, te Greek street-side Mouth of Truth – in which only the public provided with the ticket  will have access by the 14th of tomorrow.
Over than 150.000 square yards, closed to citizens and traffic in the middle of the town.

 

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The Municipality of Rome states that € 40,000 will come from the organizers of the event for the services of the municipal police, 23,000 for the extension of the metro B and 30,000 for trash cleaning, other euro 75,000 for onlus and companies that provide portable toilets, ambulances and health services.
But this is money for employee compensation and suppliers, not actual revenues for Roma Capitale, besides the fact that those employeers and officials will not have extraordinary benefits for overtime work for the Roman citizens’ needs. Carlo Rienzi, president of Codacons, a strong consumers association, already protests as that of “road closures, detours, limitations, changes in public transport in an area such as the nerve center of the Circus Maximus, which are passed on to citizens.”

And no benefits for ‘image rights’ for Roma Capitale, although the Town had sponsored the event and, more importantly, while the page where you could vote for the lineup of songs shows the design of the Circus Maximus for promotional uses.
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By the way, remember that the image rights of Coliseum – for sponsorship agreements signed by the City of Rome, in exchange for just 25 million pounds for 15 years, “which may be extended” – can be used for ‘clothing, footwear, headgear’ (the core business of Tod’s), but also “perfumes, adhesives, precious metals and their alloys, jewelery, precious stones, horological, chronometric instruments’, as well as for events, press conferences, photographs, stationery, adhesives, office supplies, umbrellas, leather , as for cultural and sporting events. In addition, the sponsor has the authorization to “build a temporary structure, or fixed, for the reception of the supporters of the Association, located in the immediate vicinity of the Coliseum” and for the duration of the restoration work and the next two years “and that” can boast and to use the name and logos of the sponsors. “

A real scandal, if we consider that only 70,000 tickets at € 78 each are well 5.46 million -EUR receipts for the event, which was presented in Italy “and D’Alessandro Galli”, a leading company in the field of music business, in accordance with “Rock in Roma”, on which Wild Bunch wrote that “in addition to the two-month festival of Ippodromo Capannelle, the Award Winning “Bucci & Giuliani simultaneously run all the concerts of the Olympic Stadium in this summer, from Muse to Depeche Mode to Roger Waters and Italians Negroamaro and Jovanotti. ”
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So, it is true that with the great events turn a lot of money, but are  we sure that this business really representa a public revenue and more services to citizens?
Also, if this is the way to do the math teached in medical schools to future dirigent doctors, as the Mayor Ignazio Marino is, we could have find too a good explanation on the causes of public health crazy expenditure.
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Among other things, how dispel the suspicion that Ignazio Marino was well aware of the value in the image of Circus Maximus if he declared to Sky TG24 that “for me it is a great pride to bring the history of rock within our archaeological history in a unique scenery”, “I chose it and I was immediately approved by Mick Jagger, and it was decisive: there were other European capitals who wanted to host the concert”.
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Downward negotiation in order to affix his ‘signature’ of an event such as the Rolling Stones in Rome? Not surprisingly, Alessandro Onorato, leader of the opposition in the city council, announces “a complaint to the Court of Auditors for loss of revenue.”

It’s Rome.

 

originale postato su demata