RE: [at-l] Environmental Assessment for Saddleback Mountain

["L. Parker" <lparker@cacaphony.net>]

> Malcolm Fuller wrote:
> Coosa wrote:
>
> > BUT -- BUT -- I think there are statistics somewhere that
> show that skiing
> > is a business that LOSES money no matter how much is poured into it.
> > Whereas Hiking and Hike Related Activities (which includes
> things like
> > Antique hunting, B&B's, craft fairs, photography, etc.)
> bring MORE money
> > into an entire area than skiing does to one sector of the
> population.
>
> I really doubt that. You should see the mil rate in the town
> that hosts the Sugarloaf ski area. It's well below half that of
> neighboring towns. Skiers also contribute to the economy in all
> of the indirect ways that hikers do.

Mil rate has no direct relation to tax rate in a tourist area. Property
valuation is everything, far overshadowing the paltry effects of a few
tenths of percent in millage. The original premise stands, property around
the resort increases in VALUE enormously, thereby increasing the tax revenue
at a corresponding rate. Millage is only a second order variable.

> > Skiing is after all a totally weather related activity --
> if we have a
> > couple 'warm' winters or 'too late to ski' snows, the money
> invested in the
> > ski resort is lost and they're begging the USGov to bail them out!
>
> You've got to take the bad with the good.

Not to pick on farmers, but...if a farming area has a bad year (drought,
flood, etc.) a few farmers and some local suppliers also have a bad year.
The service industry on the other hand is very people intensive, if they
have a bad year it is thousands of times worse.

Malcolm, you really need to DO something about that sig...

Lee I Joe

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