"Abilene Frontiering" Ridiculous Waste Of Taxpayers' Money

The negative reception to the "branding" announced by the Abilene Branding Partnership, in conjunction with North Star Destination Strategies of Nashville, Tennessee, has been overwhelming in Abilene, Texas. The joint effort, both publicly and privately funded, has created quite a public uproar amid demands for accountability and public acknowledgement of responsibility by city leaders. The Council has tried to shift blame to quasi-public branches of the city administration, which oversee the organizations involved in this $432,000 boondoggle.

All branches of the local media have reported citizens' dismay at paying North Star for what many consider plagiarizing the existing "Friendly Frontier" brand. There have been very few positive comments on the new brand proposal, which has kept city spokespersons backtracking to downplay their involvement in the decision to use at least $30,000 in tax dollars for the initail phase of the project. An additional $400,000 plus was allocated for signage and other implementation costs.

Friendly Frontier was submitted by college students as a class project in 2004 and awarded a $100 prize - far less than North Star's continuing fees.

Read the full story and public comments from the links below:

City's New Brand

432K In Tax Money

Branding Often Stirs Reaction

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