2017 Whiteface UMP Amendment

I was looking at this, linked to the article about the recent APA meeting  regarding potential new initiatives.

I like most of what was presented at the recent meeting, as well as what is in the 2017 UMP Amendment, which I hadn’t previously seen.

However, IMHO there are a couple of horrors in that 2017 Amendment.

Begin rant....

First, is that map saying they intend to widen Upper Empire?  God no, they can’t do that!  Empire is the best, most classic, narrow, winding east coast trail on the mountain.  One of the best in the northeast.  It’s challenge comes from how narrow it is.  Widening would change the character of the trail completely.  We can never let such a thing happen!!!

Next is Upper McKenzie.  Looks like they want to ruin the best, most difficult part of that trail.  The section where it veers a little right and gets steep.  On the left below that point there is a big boulder/ledge.  Looks like they want to widen and straighten the trail there, removing the part of the trail that gives Mac its best character.

These two things would entirely change the skiing experience of Empire and Mac, and not for the better.  It really would be a shame, and I’m hoping it never actually happens.  Someone in the know please tell me it won’t.

Rant over.

New trail proposed skiers left of upper mac.  No change to upper mac.  minor Widening proposed for middle mac from 2200 road through the ledges.  Lookers left looking up from 2200.  

Empire does have previous approval for widening.

If they actually fuck with Empire (or shave the edges on Upper Mac) I’m blaming the Millenials!

What’s the point of widening Empire? Really, they’ll just turn it into an uninteresting trail that nobody will ever ski.  Heck, it’s open infrequently enough as it is, but at least it’s often skiable because it’s protected and holds snow.  Widen it into a straight boulevard and that won’t be the case any more.  Friggen idiots.

JTG4eva! wrote

If they actually fuck with Empire (or shave the edges on Upper Mac) I’m blaming the Millenials!

What’s the point of widening Empire? Really, they’ll just turn it into an uninteresting trail that nobody will ever ski.  Heck, it’s open infrequently enough as it is, but at least it’s often skiable because it’s protected and holds snow.  Widen it into a straight boulevard and that won’t be the case any more.  Friggen idiots.

I think you can relax ... The widening of Empire has been an approved UMP item SINCE 1996!

Keeping poachers happy for over 20 years!  

There's a new Gore UMP amendment pending that has some welcome improvements.  The High Peaks lift would be extended above Rumor, where nature intended it to be.  There is a high speed quad at the Ski Bowl.  There are more trails at Burnt Ridge that better connect to Twister and make it easier to return to the quad from Echo, but you lose some of Echo glade.  These things will no doubt be built as soon as the previously approved Bear Mountain lodge is finished.

Sadly, it doesn't include my proposal to use ziplines to provide access to the Straightbrook lift when there is no snow on Pine Knot.  There's still time to file comments, so maybe I will.

mm

The high peaks lift used to end near the warming hut above Cloud

62.5 M

https://www.northcountrypublicradio.org/news/story/35463/20180118/cuomo-wants-62-5-million-for-olympic-venues-ski-resorts

That's crazy money!

Where can one get a blank checkbook like that, or is it a debit card, or debt card.

Thats crazy, hopefully they all three mountains get a kick in the snowmaking-ass that they need.

campgottagopee wrote

That's crazy money!

Where can one get a blank checkbook like that, or is it a debit card, or debt card.

That blank check is coming from all us taxpayers while the Gov tries spending his way into the Whitehouse.  I like that he wants to spend in the Daks but he also wants to spend everywhere else he can get votes.   He clearly didn’t get the message Congress recently sent him.

Z wrote

.   He clearly didn’t get the message Congress recently sent him.

What message was that?

Elections have consequences and as a state if you spend like a drunken sailor it’s on your own dime not the rest of the country’s

Z wrote

... as a state if you spend like a drunken sailor it’s on your own dime not the rest of the country’s

This overlooks the widely recognized reality that New York is a "donor" state, when it comes to the rest of the country. That is, New York contributes more revenue to the federal government than it receives back in federal spending.

So in fact, whatever spending "low tax" states are doing, is actually on New York's dime. Perhaps these states need to cut their spending, or raise their taxes so that we don't have to support them!

Except for the fact the Federal government continues to spend like a drunken sailor.... as it has for about the last 40 years regardless of which party the president affiliates with.

Lower Taxes and keep deficit spending at the same rate? Sounds like drunken sailor to me. Cuomo should run as a Republican.

Coach I'm a registered republican, but certainly at a federal level the Republican party is a shell of itself. Whatever supposed fiscal conservatives exist they are just wolves in sheeps clothing.

evantful wrote

Coach I'm a registered republican, but certainly at a federal level the Republican party is a shell of itself. Whatever supposed fiscal conservatives exist they are just wolves in sheeps clothing.

I agree with this.  Though the amount of foreign profits being repatriated and taxed is exceeding expectations and is stunningly huge and if even modest amounts gets reinvested in the US as Apple is doing the new tax law may work much better than expected.

One thought I just had on WF  is I hope that with all the money they are spending that lift ticket prices don’t have to jump up to the Epic levels to support that new infastructure.  Skiing needs to fight to stay affordable for the avg family and a state run Mt should make that happen for the skiers of NY as a very high priority.  I’m afraid the “fancification” of WF starting with the bar is a trend away from that.

Z wrote

...the amount of foreign profits being repatriated and taxed is exceeding expectations and is stunningly huge and if even modest amounts gets reinvested in the US as Apple is doing the new tax law may work much better than expected.

I don't understand the repatriation thing.  The only thing that can be repatriated is cash.  It seems to me all that cash will go to inflate the market value of assets, especially financial assets.  Unless it is invested in real new assets, like factories and machines, it will not create any new jobs.  OTOH it might cause a financial bubble that will eventually burst before all that money is invested in real assets.

The fact that Apple could borrow >$2 billion last year to pay dividends proves that 1)interest rates are low, and 2) access to capital is not a constraint on the economy at this time.  Repatriating a zillion dollars will keep interest rates low but there may be nowhere to actually invest that money in real assets, at least not immediately.  That may help bankers and arbitragers, but it won't do anything for wage workers or retirees who depend on interest income.  Ironically, the Trump voters, who are less educated and affluent than other white people, may be the one who end up hurt by it all.

mm

evantful wrote

Except for the fact the Federal government continues to spend like a drunken sailor.... as it has for about the last 40 years regardless of which party the president affiliates with.

Not exactly.  Bill Clinton balanced the budget.

The real issue is less how much you spend than what you spend it on.  There's nothing wrong with borrowing money to build necessary infrastructure.  Why wouldn't you borrow a couple of billion to protect a trillion dollars of real estate in Manhattan, or to build a safe transportation system?  You're going to pay for it either way, either by debt up front or by disaster recovery in the future.  Good infrastructure is costly but it pays for itself in the long run.

OTOH borrowing money for tax cuts or stupid wars, not so much.

mm

Milo Maltbie wrote

Z wrote

...the amount of foreign profits being repatriated and taxed is exceeding expectations and is stunningly huge and if even modest amounts gets reinvested in the US as Apple is doing the new tax law may work much better than expected.

I don't understand the repatriation thing.  The only thing that can be repatriated is cash.  It seems to me all that cash will go to inflate the market value of assets, especially financial assets.  Unless it is invested in real new assets, like factories and machines, it will not create any new jobs.  OTOH it might cause a financial bubble that will eventually burst before all that money is invested in real assets.

The fact that Apple could borrow >$2 billion last year to pay dividends proves that 1)interest rates are low, and 2) access to capital is not a constraint on the economy at this time.  Repatriating a zillion dollars will keep interest rates low but there may be nowhere to actually invest that money in real assets, at least not immediately.  That may help bankers and arbitragers, but it won't do anything for wage workers or retirees who depend on interest income.  Ironically, the Trump voters, who are less educated and affluent than other white people, may be the one who end up hurt by it all.

mm

Your first line is correct
If you are against this you don’t understand what is happening
http://fortune.com/2018/01/17/apple-domestic-jobs-investment/
Apple is bring hunderds of Billions with a B of profits back to the US that have been shashed in banks overseas.  That triggers now having to pay $38 billion in Corp income tax and they will then invest hunderds of billions in the US economy.  Multiple a similar effect from thousands of other companies and this economy is going to rocking.  Anyone that doesn’t think this is awesome will be proven a village idiot quickly.

Z,

I hope and pray that you're spot on; if not, lets all go ski.  In the words of Admiral Farragutt," Damn The Torpedoes, full speed ahead".   Kind'a sounds like a great Tom Petty bump song.

Ski You on the Hill,

64ER