KENT'S AMERICAN ADVENTURE

A MISSED OPPORTUNITY

Before Mondays big Turner meeting, I was pondering whether Alex King, Deputy leader of Kent council had ever visited Margate. As he was once again subject of an article in this weekends Kent on Sunday newspaper as it returned to the rising cost of his visits to America.

Since I was sitting only a few feet away from him, in the Winter Gardens, I suppose could have asked him, what he thought we might achieve? as Kent’s investment of your money is now probably well beyond a half million pounds. This would have been particularly handy since for the last week I have been trying to establish from KCC whether they actually have any method of measuring, their effectiveness in attracting business to this county.

The Kent on Sunday, is focusing on the Deputy council leader Alex King, apparently, spending £3657 of our money for a fortnights stay on business as part Kent American adventure.

Of course we all know of the £300,000 wasted on Flights to Manston but the costs are continuing to mount, and it seems that the local press have missed out on what I think will prove a bigger controversy the £300,000 being spent on sending forty odd off to Washington for a week or so to the Smithsonian Folklife Festival.

It seems that Kent council are very naïve, if they think that American business is going to invest in this county, just because Alex King or anyone else for that matter visits on behalf of the county.

I would like to know if Alex King, could point to any benefit this county has so far had with a very narrow focused marketing campaign. Since Alex King has Kent county responsibility for performance management as part of his cabinet brief maybe he ought weigh up his own performance so far.

Kent council have been working on this project for some considerable time and not once have the been able to announce any positive news all we get is hot air. I understand that Alex King will be shortly making another trip to America, were he working for a commercial organisation, in a sales capacity questions would have been asked long ago, and maybe he would have been sent on a trip elsewhere by now.