Convention Center vs. Arts & Environment

Today's Orlando Sentinel brought word that Orange County is planning to spend an additional $50 million to support its convention center (http://www.orlandosentinel.com/orl-orange-county-convention-center-funding-102709,0,2590649.column) while drastically trimming its spending on the arts (http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/news_politics/2009/10/orange-leaders-new-favorite-whipping-boy-the-arts.html) and preserving the County's sensitive natural lands (http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/orange/orl-green-place-budget-102809,0,2086962.story). Since politics can be defined as the allocation of scarce resources (how about "extremely scarce" in these troubled times?), it seems like there is a stark contrast between continuing to rely on attracting visitors to the area versus creating conditions that attract talented people to settle here permanently in the pursuit of their careers. What do you think?