Thursday, July 13, 2017

Priceless. Satire done right in The Palm Beach Post today, “Here’s a marketing idea: host the G-20”.

A wonderfully satirical take on tourism here in Palm Beach County is below, a Letter to the Editor (LTE) by Donald Podolsky of Jupiter.

First, have you ever considered writing a LTE? Find out how, instructions are below.

Effective satire is hard work. It’s doubly hard when one takes head on very serious issues such as the Brightline train service and all those LTE’s last year with, “exaggerated speculation countered by point-of-fact responses to earnest opposition laced with not too subtle fear-mongering.”

Mr. Dennis Myers of Tequesta took on all that hysterical nonsense in the Post and responded with his own LTE about Brightline and traffic congestion:

First option is to mitigate and adapt. . . . Second option is to move and adjust. Relocate to the west where we can trade the train horns and traffic waits at crossings for the car horns and traffic congestion at stoplights that plague the quality of life there.

Now the latest satirical gem from Mr. Podolsky:

Since much of Florida is in a tizzy about cuts to funding for tourism marketing, I think a solution that would attract tens of thousands of those national and international tourists would be to have West Palm Beach host the next G-20 meeting. [emphasis added] No advertising is necessary, and the resulting hordes of people would bring an immediate infusion of those much-needed dollars to our local economy.

and. . .

Food trucks could line all the marching routes for days, and maybe even a patron spillover could revitalize those failing businesses along Clematis Street and in CityPlace.

in conclusion. . .

It’s an idea whose time has come, it’s a win-win for all.

Excellent work, Mr. Podolsky.

Anyhow, since we’re once again awaiting the hysterical nonsense to ramp up again about the Blueway Trail, try writing a LTE now for the sake of experience. It may not get published, or maybe it will!

Here’s how it’s done:

It only takes 5–10 minutes to write a LTE. You will want to address something very current, e.g., something in today’s paper so it’s still fresh in people’s minds in a day or two.
  • Keep your LTE to 150–200 words in length (the “shorter the better” is a good rule).
  • An LTE submitted by email is the best method: letters@pbpost.com (include your phone number and complete address)
  • Listing your credentials is very helpful.
  • Then always follow-up!
  • Follow up your LTE with an email or fax (561-820-4728) the next day.
  • Then later, call the editorial department (561-820-4441); explain why your letter is important.
  • Don’t be timid. Stay pleasant and respectful.
  • Then just ask outright: “Are you planning to publish my letter?”.

On the subject of tourism in Palm Beach County, Mr. Jorge Pesquera of Discover The Palm Beaches has a video about the little City of Lake Worth.

By the way, October is only 2½ months away. Meet Mr. Pesquera: