From the Cabela's press release issued on February 15, 2011...
Cabela's Incorporated, the World's Foremost Outfitter of hunting, fishing and outdoor gear, will open its newest store in Allen, Texas. Allen is Cabela's third Texas location and the second in the Dallas Metroplex. The company currently operates stores in Fort Worth and Buda.
The Dallas Metroplex?
A few years back, when Cabela's was coming to town, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and its minions, repeated repeatedly Cabela's propaganda along the lines that the store would be the #1 Tourist Attraction in Texas. That it would attract (this number varied depending on the Star-Telegram writer) between 4 and 8 million visitors.
When Bud Kennedy went with the 8 million visitors number and repeated the #1 Tourist Attraction in Texas malarkey, I emailed him, pointing out the illogical absurdity. Bud Kennedy replied that I "must be against business."
No. I like business. I am against fraud. And wanton stupidity.
Turns out, I was right. Cabela's did not attract anywhere near the number of visitors it told Fort Worth it would attract, or generate the number of jobs Cabelea's claimed would be generated. So, Cabela's had to pay back some of the tax break goodies Fort Worth gave them.
Cabela's tries the same scam pretty much wherever they try and open a store. If it is in a desperate, unsophisticated, rube zone, without a real newspaper, they try the #1 Tourist Attraction, millions of visitors con.
When Cabela's tried the con in Boise, Cabela's was told if it was not economically viable to open your store, without subsidies, then don't build it.
I don't believe Cabela's tried either of its propaganda ploys when it built a store in Lacey, Washington, near Olympia. It would have caused giggling among the locals.
But, in Fort Worth, the locals bought the ruse and did Cabela's bidding, so that Fort Worth could have the #1 Tourist Attraction in Texas. In a sporting goods store attracting up to 8 million visitors a year.
Yes, Fort Worth is sort of a desperate kind of town. Anyone heard of the Trinity River Vision? That's another ruse, breathlessly sold, with lies frequently told.
When the second Texas Cabela's, quickly opened in Buda, Texas, down by Austin, did the Star-Telegram do any investigating in to how this could happen? And now that the Fort Worth Cabela's is not even the only Cabela's in the Dallas Metroplex, has the Star-Telegram had a look back at all that loony propaganda it printed, back when Cabela's first came courting?
Like I have said, more than once, Fort Worth lacks a real newspaper. Was it a real newspaper back when Amon Carter brought it to town? Or has it always acted as a shill for the Fort Worth Way and its Ruling Oligarchy?
