The guest is God.
- Hindu proverb
The guest is a jewel resting on the cushion of hospitality.
- Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe
If ever there was any doubt that summer residents at the RV Park are considered to be second-class citizens, that issue was put to rest by the rude and insulting letters published in both papers last week in response to a reasonable request by park resident Norm Larsen. Norm was speaking on behalf of many others who are themselves expected to quiet down after 10 p.m. but find sleep impossible due to loud music from the Birch Terrace and the Gunflint Tavern.
What insults they were subjected to, simply for a noise complaint that even in rowdy Minneapolis would have resulted in a visit from the police asking that the noisemakers tone it down. Grand Marais is currently considering adoption of a noise ordinance and I Truly hope they will despite "noise" from people who must never have lived in a big city where such ordinances are routine.
Many others besides Norm and the park "guests" (who according to the letter writers don't deserve a voice since they don't pay taxes) either live in or visit Grand Marais because of the beauty of the harbor, the nearby lakes and woods, the shops and art galleries, the folk school, the hiking trails, and a rather endless list of sports and attractions other than late-night entertainment.
As a tourist some years ago, staying at a cottage on the hill in town, I was kept awake by some musicians jamming outside, behind the present-day Gunflint Tavern. In my nightclothes, I followed the noise to the source and to their astonishment, burst in on them wild-eyed and said, "I can't sleep, so could you please STOP."
Why is this not okay? Those who break the peace and silence that most "guests" come to enjoy ought to be the ones to compromise. Surely there is a way to mitigate sounds: keep doors and windows closed, don't use loudspeakers, quiet down at a reasonable hour OR install soundproofing. This didn't used to be a problem. True himself has attended concerts at both venues that did not impinge on the surrounding tourists and resident families.
Lots of families with young children all over the residential parts of town can hear open-air noises from near the lake; sound carries. The burden is on the noisemakers; the great majority of "guests" or tourists or summer residents want quiet enjoyment and don't need to stay up half the night partying. That's not why they come to the North Shore.
As for locals all their lives who want to exclude those "guests" they don't like, hello? You are truly cutting off your own noses, my friends.
And the 86-year old lady who sleeps through the night? Hmm. Like many young people whose hearing has been decimated by loud decibels, the elderly commonly have some hearing loss.
But True is most appalled by Stephan Hoglund's jibe about "poverty level" rents paid by RV park visitors. Even were it True it is not NICE, and it would not be said of boat slip renters who pay even less (about $900 per year).
Assuming that the 50 or so RV renters who return year after year stay an average of four-and-a-half months, they pay $500 per month for their space alone, without the house or the electrical hookup. All of those dollars go into the Grand Marais City coffers... If that is "poverty" level, many of us who are year-round residents might be the target of Hoglund's ire for not having enough money to matter.
But it needs to be reiterated that locals don't have the only say in what happens here; if the tourists don't like it they won't come back.
Norm has gotten signatures from 60 or more residents of the RV park as well as neighbors around the Birch Terrace. Let's face it, most people don't like to stay up carousing all night. Surely 10 or 11 p.m. is a reasonable hour to quiet down. Those who want to party on through the night, let them stay indoors.
True
Showing posts with label tourism. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tourism. Show all posts
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Thursday, July 03, 2008
Friends, lighten up, have a heart
True has received a letter from Amanda Plummer about the water-skipping event in the harbor during the 4th of July and Fish Pic. Amanda's arguments seem sound to True: high attendance, jumping through the hoops to get approval, and FUN, fun fun for folks including the almighty Tourists on behalf of whom many a PC sin has now and then been committed.
Ya sure, it probably isn't that good for the fish. BUT, what about those big boats and their ballast? What about the, excuse me, detritus left behind by every single motorized vehicle? What about the city itself and its failure to clean up waste in the harbor?
Hey, we are talking about only a few hours per year at most. How much environmental damage can that do?
As for the conservation easement, which True soundly supports, that has been repeatedly violated by city and developers alike. So why pick on these little kids who just want to have a little fun?
True, it is not my idea of a fun fest, but I don't need to agree with everything that everybody wants to do. This seems relatively harmless and enjoyed by a lot of folks.
Another big issue at play here is the hubris of Homeland Security, who has now taken over the formerly friendly and service-oriented Coast Guard. They claim to own the harbor! This raises my hackles; it would never have happened when the Coast Guard was simply the Coast Guard and not an outpost of the heavy-handed Homeland Security, home of the Unitary Executive.
Plummer's letter shows that some Coast Guard personnel were willing to approve the skipping permit. This apparently got nixed at a Higher Level.
Harbor Friends, please lighten up. Coast Guard emissaries of the Homeland Deciders, please remember that WE remember you fondly as partners in protecting our harbor, not as the Heavies who Rule Jurisdictions.
-True
Ya sure, it probably isn't that good for the fish. BUT, what about those big boats and their ballast? What about the, excuse me, detritus left behind by every single motorized vehicle? What about the city itself and its failure to clean up waste in the harbor?
Hey, we are talking about only a few hours per year at most. How much environmental damage can that do?
As for the conservation easement, which True soundly supports, that has been repeatedly violated by city and developers alike. So why pick on these little kids who just want to have a little fun?
True, it is not my idea of a fun fest, but I don't need to agree with everything that everybody wants to do. This seems relatively harmless and enjoyed by a lot of folks.
Another big issue at play here is the hubris of Homeland Security, who has now taken over the formerly friendly and service-oriented Coast Guard. They claim to own the harbor! This raises my hackles; it would never have happened when the Coast Guard was simply the Coast Guard and not an outpost of the heavy-handed Homeland Security, home of the Unitary Executive.
Plummer's letter shows that some Coast Guard personnel were willing to approve the skipping permit. This apparently got nixed at a Higher Level.
Harbor Friends, please lighten up. Coast Guard emissaries of the Homeland Deciders, please remember that WE remember you fondly as partners in protecting our harbor, not as the Heavies who Rule Jurisdictions.
-True
Sunday, April 13, 2008
The helipad in the harbor
Like everybody else True was shocked to learn that the feds have decided to use the Coast Guard station to house their expanded Border Patrol.
This came about after more than a year of secrecy, rebuffs to the press who tried to find out what was going on, and a general "Up Yours" attitude as people continued to wonder where they planned to build their 10-acre compound surrounded by barbed wire fence and enclosing an underground parking bunker, a helipad, and a jail.
Turns out, the Department of Homeland Security, thanks to the machinations of the Bush administration, now owns our historic Coast Guard station. Nyaa, nyaa, too bad for us.
The PR team insists the facility will only be used for "office space." Even so, the harbor parking lot is a favorite tourist spot. Even locals like to have lunch while watching the changing landscape. As County Commissioner Bruce Martinson said, the Homeland Honchos have chosen the "worst possible" site for their military hi-jinks (apologies to Bruce, the honchos and hi-jinks are my own words not his).
But DHS's credibility is sorta in doubt here. Why should we believe what they tell us now after they have lied for so long?
Here is one possible reason: the new satellite surveillance system being imposed as we speak on every citizen in the "Homeland" and described in this week's Washington Post...This could mean there doesn't have to be so many night surveillance flights or Border Patrol staff riding herd on people who don't look like us: the satellite sees all. Are you out on your deck on a summer eveing, enjoying the Milky Way, and perhaps entertaining a friend? Big Brother will take note.
Still, True is not so sure there won't be a high fence around the Coast Guard station and worries about tourists finding their way to our beloved Artist's Point without DHS harassment.
They do it because they can. The community can't stop them. They are the Deciders. They own the property.
This came about after more than a year of secrecy, rebuffs to the press who tried to find out what was going on, and a general "Up Yours" attitude as people continued to wonder where they planned to build their 10-acre compound surrounded by barbed wire fence and enclosing an underground parking bunker, a helipad, and a jail.
Turns out, the Department of Homeland Security, thanks to the machinations of the Bush administration, now owns our historic Coast Guard station. Nyaa, nyaa, too bad for us.
The PR team insists the facility will only be used for "office space." Even so, the harbor parking lot is a favorite tourist spot. Even locals like to have lunch while watching the changing landscape. As County Commissioner Bruce Martinson said, the Homeland Honchos have chosen the "worst possible" site for their military hi-jinks (apologies to Bruce, the honchos and hi-jinks are my own words not his).
But DHS's credibility is sorta in doubt here. Why should we believe what they tell us now after they have lied for so long?
Here is one possible reason: the new satellite surveillance system being imposed as we speak on every citizen in the "Homeland" and described in this week's Washington Post...This could mean there doesn't have to be so many night surveillance flights or Border Patrol staff riding herd on people who don't look like us: the satellite sees all. Are you out on your deck on a summer eveing, enjoying the Milky Way, and perhaps entertaining a friend? Big Brother will take note.
Still, True is not so sure there won't be a high fence around the Coast Guard station and worries about tourists finding their way to our beloved Artist's Point without DHS harassment.
They do it because they can. The community can't stop them. They are the Deciders. They own the property.
Friday, March 07, 2008
To the GM Park Board: Government Ethics 101
One of the biggest problems with having two local papers in Cook County is that neither one can devote adequate resources to the big issues. The Park Board meetings, for example, often get bypassed entirely.... it has been True's experience that these folks want to encourage the rich and get rid of the middle class who now support Rec Park with their huge fees for utilities and space for their RVs....
So, the latest brouhaha is the decision to add nine (count em, nine) new docks to the present marina of 16 slips. By True's calculations this is an increase of MORE THAN HALF (56 percent) without, as far as True knows, any public process.... The new slips obscure the lake view of North House and the Hjordis. It looks like a hostile takeover by the downtown Bidness interests from where I sit....These guys compare our tiny harbor to MegaMarina Bayfield. They think the big bucks are just waiting to descend on Grand Marais, despite recent studies that rich yacht owners are on the decline. Wheareas our loyal Rec Park tenants have stayed year after year despite knockout increases in fees. Hello, Grand Marais? The rich will see us as a "slapdash" town and won't want to be bothered to stay here. Too totally funky. So, why do we care? The ordinary folks, the working folks and the middle class, love us. They are our bread-and-butter, our biggest fans.
Bidness doesn't like North House because they pay their way and yet they still make money, they draw in tourists from all across America, and they are committed to sustainable development of the harbor. Bidness couldn't care less about sustainability so long as they can sell more gas to the rich s---ers who want to dock here but don't want to pay their fair share like the rest of our tourists who pay for lodging and meals or the RV Park folks who pay horrific fees to retain their spaces...
Worst of all are the statements by board member Carol Backlund and Recreation Area Assistant Manager Dave Tersteeg. True is appalled that they just don't get it, that conflict-of-interest means DO NOT VOTE. Ya shure, anybody can express an opinion. Carol, Dave, do your worst... but DO NOT VOTE. Hello, you think your opinions are valuable? Duh.... so is everybody else's opinion, but the rule goes that if you have even the slightest interest in the decision you DO NOT VOTE.
Civics and Government appear to be low on the list of classes for Cook County students.
The ultimate decision about extra slips in the marina should be considered in terms of its impact on existing businesses and the environment, as well as the view shed that visitors expect during their holidays. NOT NOT because anybody might even conceivably profit from additional slips....
It is no wonder that the neocons who control the government slash away all legal challenges to their limitless power: The Sheep are putty in the hands of the Wolf.
True's fave paper is not the Star and yet they had the story this time.
So, the latest brouhaha is the decision to add nine (count em, nine) new docks to the present marina of 16 slips. By True's calculations this is an increase of MORE THAN HALF (56 percent) without, as far as True knows, any public process.... The new slips obscure the lake view of North House and the Hjordis. It looks like a hostile takeover by the downtown Bidness interests from where I sit....These guys compare our tiny harbor to MegaMarina Bayfield. They think the big bucks are just waiting to descend on Grand Marais, despite recent studies that rich yacht owners are on the decline. Wheareas our loyal Rec Park tenants have stayed year after year despite knockout increases in fees. Hello, Grand Marais? The rich will see us as a "slapdash" town and won't want to be bothered to stay here. Too totally funky. So, why do we care? The ordinary folks, the working folks and the middle class, love us. They are our bread-and-butter, our biggest fans.
Bidness doesn't like North House because they pay their way and yet they still make money, they draw in tourists from all across America, and they are committed to sustainable development of the harbor. Bidness couldn't care less about sustainability so long as they can sell more gas to the rich s---ers who want to dock here but don't want to pay their fair share like the rest of our tourists who pay for lodging and meals or the RV Park folks who pay horrific fees to retain their spaces...
Worst of all are the statements by board member Carol Backlund and Recreation Area Assistant Manager Dave Tersteeg. True is appalled that they just don't get it, that conflict-of-interest means DO NOT VOTE. Ya shure, anybody can express an opinion. Carol, Dave, do your worst... but DO NOT VOTE. Hello, you think your opinions are valuable? Duh.... so is everybody else's opinion, but the rule goes that if you have even the slightest interest in the decision you DO NOT VOTE.
Civics and Government appear to be low on the list of classes for Cook County students.
The ultimate decision about extra slips in the marina should be considered in terms of its impact on existing businesses and the environment, as well as the view shed that visitors expect during their holidays. NOT NOT because anybody might even conceivably profit from additional slips....
It is no wonder that the neocons who control the government slash away all legal challenges to their limitless power: The Sheep are putty in the hands of the Wolf.
True's fave paper is not the Star and yet they had the story this time.
Friday, February 29, 2008
Minnesota: raise income taxes!
Hello, Governor Pawlenty. Hello, Cook County. Hello, Minnesota legislators!
Stop taxing the poor! New gas taxes, new sales taxes, new fees, but NEVER new income taxes! Y'all are shifting the tax burden from the richest to the poorest.
Can you say, REGRESSIVE TAXES?
Minnesota used to be all about graduated taxes, all about ability to pay. No more. Cook County and Grand Marais are hollering for a new one percent sales tax, claiming that it is borne by tourists. Hello, hello? WE are the ones who live here, who pay the tax every single day on every single thing we buy.
The legislature passed a new gas tax without even asking what anybody thinks about that. This happens even as gas prices break all records. Us po' folks can hardly manage to buy gas to get to work. Our food, our heat, our rents and mortgages, not to mention our health care have all shot through the roof. How much blood can you squeeze out of a stone? How much poorer will we have to be before the big D word is spoken aloud?
As for property taxes, nobody seems yet to have caught on: we are being taxed on inflated property values!!! We can no longer sell our homes for their inflated values but we still have to pay taxes on them. Property taxes are also regressive, but necessary at the local level, WHICH is why Minnesota used to offer lots of aid to local governments as well as homeowners. Back in the day when Minnesota government meant something good for people, before the Repugnants took over.
As for the No New Bridges governor, who keeps sending my "tax bill" spiraling by increasing all those fees like license tabs in the name of "no new taxes" meaning no new FAIR income taxes, well I hope you will be soundly defeated by an old-fashioned Minnesota DFL progressive next round.
True
Stop taxing the poor! New gas taxes, new sales taxes, new fees, but NEVER new income taxes! Y'all are shifting the tax burden from the richest to the poorest.
Can you say, REGRESSIVE TAXES?
Minnesota used to be all about graduated taxes, all about ability to pay. No more. Cook County and Grand Marais are hollering for a new one percent sales tax, claiming that it is borne by tourists. Hello, hello? WE are the ones who live here, who pay the tax every single day on every single thing we buy.
The legislature passed a new gas tax without even asking what anybody thinks about that. This happens even as gas prices break all records. Us po' folks can hardly manage to buy gas to get to work. Our food, our heat, our rents and mortgages, not to mention our health care have all shot through the roof. How much blood can you squeeze out of a stone? How much poorer will we have to be before the big D word is spoken aloud?
As for property taxes, nobody seems yet to have caught on: we are being taxed on inflated property values!!! We can no longer sell our homes for their inflated values but we still have to pay taxes on them. Property taxes are also regressive, but necessary at the local level, WHICH is why Minnesota used to offer lots of aid to local governments as well as homeowners. Back in the day when Minnesota government meant something good for people, before the Repugnants took over.
As for the No New Bridges governor, who keeps sending my "tax bill" spiraling by increasing all those fees like license tabs in the name of "no new taxes" meaning no new FAIR income taxes, well I hope you will be soundly defeated by an old-fashioned Minnesota DFL progressive next round.
True
Friday, November 30, 2007
Social Capital Assessment
Here's a post from Boreal News of interest to all who care about Cook County. The benefits of social capital assessments are multiple and manifold. This theory, already adopted by scholars in many disciplines from evaluation/sociology to architecture and development, advocates for local communities. The idea is to inventory the community assets and then build on or strengthen them instead of the outside developer mentality of slash-and-burn.
Cook County is rich in social capital assets that include communities dedicated to the best interests of citizens and tourists.
Please, friends, if you can spare the time, consider taking part in this most important project that could have incredible impact on the long-term health and well being of our county:
Join us on Thursday, November 29 at 4:30 p.m. at the Cook County
Community Center to plan how this assessment will work in all parts of the
county. There is no charge to us as we are serving as a pilot project
for the U of M Extension. The information will be valuable for decision
makers.Contact the Community Center Extension Program to plan how this assessment will work in all parts of the county. There is no charge to us as we are serving as a pilot project.
We are looking for volunteers from all parts of Cook County to help with a county-wide social capital assessment. We want to set this up so that areas within the counties can determine how well their local
community is doing in terms of cooperating together for mutual benefit. This may differ between Schroeder, Gunflint Trail, or Grand Portage. The time commitment is one training session and getting folks to fill out the assessment in January.
If you are unable to attend the meeting but would be willing to help with the survey assessment in your part of the county, please contact Diane Booth at the Extension office at 387-3015.
Cook County is rich in social capital assets that include communities dedicated to the best interests of citizens and tourists.
Please, friends, if you can spare the time, consider taking part in this most important project that could have incredible impact on the long-term health and well being of our county:
Join us on Thursday, November 29 at 4:30 p.m. at the Cook County
Community Center to plan how this assessment will work in all parts of the
county. There is no charge to us as we are serving as a pilot project
for the U of M Extension. The information will be valuable for decision
makers.Contact the Community Center Extension Program to plan how this assessment will work in all parts of the county. There is no charge to us as we are serving as a pilot project.
We are looking for volunteers from all parts of Cook County to help with a county-wide social capital assessment. We want to set this up so that areas within the counties can determine how well their local
community is doing in terms of cooperating together for mutual benefit. This may differ between Schroeder, Gunflint Trail, or Grand Portage. The time commitment is one training session and getting folks to fill out the assessment in January.
If you are unable to attend the meeting but would be willing to help with the survey assessment in your part of the county, please contact Diane Booth at the Extension office at 387-3015.
Friday, July 13, 2007
Let there be gardens
"Let a hundred flowers blossom,
Let a hundred schools of thoughts contend."
-Mao Tse Tung
How remarkable. The city Park and Recreation Board doesn't want gardens in Rec Park, despite pleas from our loyal summer residents that it would make the park more home-like and beautiful.
What's the big deal? Flowers are wonderful and even vegetables have a lot of charm to many folks. Are you the same guys that dug up the wetlands and filled them with garbage not so long ago?
In another life, in Minneapolis, True once got a citation from the city for "weeds" on account of a perennial border. Now residents of that city get "Blooming boulevard" awards for planting native prairie flowers, once known as weeds.
Hey, folks. Lighten up and let the flowers bloom and grow forever, like the edelweiss in The Sound of Music. Look at Harbor Park, planted by many many of us. People love it.
True
Let a hundred schools of thoughts contend."
-Mao Tse Tung
How remarkable. The city Park and Recreation Board doesn't want gardens in Rec Park, despite pleas from our loyal summer residents that it would make the park more home-like and beautiful.
What's the big deal? Flowers are wonderful and even vegetables have a lot of charm to many folks. Are you the same guys that dug up the wetlands and filled them with garbage not so long ago?
In another life, in Minneapolis, True once got a citation from the city for "weeds" on account of a perennial border. Now residents of that city get "Blooming boulevard" awards for planting native prairie flowers, once known as weeds.
Hey, folks. Lighten up and let the flowers bloom and grow forever, like the edelweiss in The Sound of Music. Look at Harbor Park, planted by many many of us. People love it.
True
Saturday, June 16, 2007
Reader is shocked by ATV rudeness
Dear True,
I am writing in response to the startlingly rude letters printed this week in the Cook County News Herald, bashing the views of my friend and mentor John Haluska. He is described as delusional, deceitful, disrespectful, false and “close to slanderous” for his opinion piece challenging the rights of ATV owners to unlimited access of ATVs in Cook County.
Ms. Elizabeth Perry also challenges him as not being a fifth-generation immigrant to Cook County. I wonder what the native Anishinabe population thinks about this.
As a 20th generation immigrant to the United States during the reign of Elizabeth I, I don’t feel very proud of my ancestors: they were thieves and murderers unless they were killed by the Indian natives. I have interviewed dozens of descendants of Cook County immigrants and none of them has said that ATVs represent a way of life in their families. In fact, looking to Wikipedia, I find that ATVs first appeared in the 1980s.
Sometimes dialogue is difficult if not impossible. True himself, along with my friend John Haluska and various other readers, attempted a dialogue with Rhonda Silence and after many attempts at communication there was an irretrievable breakdown, just as is now happening with the county ATV committee in which two members have resigned (Sheriff Mark Falk and County Attorney Tim Scannell).
The truth is that the ATV Club and its adherents are the minority. Their rude accusations in public venues will perhaps mobilize their own supporters, but most people in Cook County, “locals” and newcomers alike, value the peace and silence of the woods, understand that the tourist base that sustains them comes here for that peace, and respect the fragile ecology that sustains our bedrock-based ecology.
I and most of my friends and allies support a limited access for ATV riders to designated trails. The county, the US Forest Service and the DNR are struggling to open trails but also to avoid becoming a national destination for riders who think big noise and sensitive environmental depredation are their God-given rights.
Nancye Belding
Grand Marais
I am writing in response to the startlingly rude letters printed this week in the Cook County News Herald, bashing the views of my friend and mentor John Haluska. He is described as delusional, deceitful, disrespectful, false and “close to slanderous” for his opinion piece challenging the rights of ATV owners to unlimited access of ATVs in Cook County.
Ms. Elizabeth Perry also challenges him as not being a fifth-generation immigrant to Cook County. I wonder what the native Anishinabe population thinks about this.
As a 20th generation immigrant to the United States during the reign of Elizabeth I, I don’t feel very proud of my ancestors: they were thieves and murderers unless they were killed by the Indian natives. I have interviewed dozens of descendants of Cook County immigrants and none of them has said that ATVs represent a way of life in their families. In fact, looking to Wikipedia, I find that ATVs first appeared in the 1980s.
Sometimes dialogue is difficult if not impossible. True himself, along with my friend John Haluska and various other readers, attempted a dialogue with Rhonda Silence and after many attempts at communication there was an irretrievable breakdown, just as is now happening with the county ATV committee in which two members have resigned (Sheriff Mark Falk and County Attorney Tim Scannell).
The truth is that the ATV Club and its adherents are the minority. Their rude accusations in public venues will perhaps mobilize their own supporters, but most people in Cook County, “locals” and newcomers alike, value the peace and silence of the woods, understand that the tourist base that sustains them comes here for that peace, and respect the fragile ecology that sustains our bedrock-based ecology.
I and most of my friends and allies support a limited access for ATV riders to designated trails. The county, the US Forest Service and the DNR are struggling to open trails but also to avoid becoming a national destination for riders who think big noise and sensitive environmental depredation are their God-given rights.
Nancye Belding
Grand Marais
Sunday, June 03, 2007
Minnesota’s ‘Freshwater Ocean’ Attracts a New Generation - New York Times
We have been discovered by the New York Times. They think it is a good thing. True thinks it sucks. The more rich fat cats who buy property here, the worse for us. They raise our taxes with their monster cabins, give nothing back to the community, and diminish our community infrastructure including schools and housing for locals. These carpetbaggers have been seen to move in to close-knit neighborhoods and put up "Keep Out" signs. Their vacation homes, on a par with royal castles, challenge the fragile boreal forest.
Their arrogance requires a service economy dedicated to their thoughtless needs: cleaning staff and groundskeepers.
In short, the objects of our tourism outreach are predators rather than assets to our community.
Read the story:
Minnesota’s ‘Freshwater Ocean’ Attracts a New Generation - New York Times
Their arrogance requires a service economy dedicated to their thoughtless needs: cleaning staff and groundskeepers.
In short, the objects of our tourism outreach are predators rather than assets to our community.
Read the story:
Minnesota’s ‘Freshwater Ocean’ Attracts a New Generation - New York Times
Friday, June 01, 2007
ATV Mendacity
Dear True,
ATVer rants lately have taken more twists and turns than the trails they like to carve through fragile wetlands, but I’m hearing that the community is finally getting fed up as the club now demands unfettered riding privileges throughout the county. It is time we come to our collective senses and bring ATV trail blazing to an abrupt halt.
The club initially said all they wanted was to run a ways down the road to have coffee with their like minded neighbors; that they were not at all interested in unlimited access or in turning Cook County into a magnet for Twin City ATV riders. Then, at the last county board meeting, we saw the mask drop and reality revealed in the demands they made and the threats they leveled against the county board members if the board had the temerity to put any restrictions on ATV travel. A look at members’ comments, the club’s website, the lobbying of its affiliates, of the ATV industry, and of the DNR reveals a clear, grim, picture of the future of our community as run by the ATV club.
Contrary to their original disclosures, ATVers now demand unrestricted riding throughout the county. Demonstrating a total lack of respect for the work of the ATV task force, a group known mainly for its imbalance in favor of the ATV club, club officers told the board it had to open all roads in the county to ATV riding under all circumstances – it is all or nothing. They also now insist they should be allowed to police themselves. The county board is to roll over, or else! Whatever happened to their previous promises? Whatever happened to civil, if not honest, discourse?
The local club also wants an ATV park in Cook County. On its website, www.atv.rideupnorth.com (how’s that for deterring an onslaught of Metro riders?), the club states an ATV park is a key priority. Surely there is a club member willing to donate his property for this worthy venture and no doubt he is surrounded by neighbors willing to sacrifice their peace and quiet for this noble cause. Will the lucky winners please make themselves known?
Opening the North Shore Snowmobile Trail to summer-long ATV travel is another club goal; it is shared with clubs statewide. This club priority also gets support from industry and the DNR, disregarding the original purpose and restrictions on that trail. This would allow an unlimited flow of riders from Duluth and beyond to roar into our county. It is such a comfort to know just how caring and sharing the ATV club is – caring only for themselves and sharing their hobby’s noxious noise with the rest of us.
Trashing the North Shore Snowmobile Trail is a key component in a linked, statewide system. The ATV clubs, ATV industry, the DNR and their ilk are all working on statewide connections in total disregard of real needs or of the will of the majority of Minnesotans. Whether statewide or just Cook County, most of us do not want our roads endangered, woods trashed and streams ruined, or our peace and quiet lost to what is perhaps the most selfish of outdoor activities (Don’t call ATVing a sport; it just ain’t). But, opposition is given short, if any shrift at all.
Another ATV goal is opening the Willard Munger Trail to ATV’s, thus connecting the whole Arrowhead to lower Minnesota for wide-open ATV travel. Though pushed during this legislature by the DNR, the clubs, and the ATV industry, it lost; rest assured it will be back. The intent is to link the Twin Cities to the North Shore Trail to Cook County. The benefit to our county will be an unlimited summertime supply of Metro ATV riders.
The reality is that the ATV club, with the support of the ATV industry and the DNR, is hell bent on making your county a destination for ATVs. The club tells us it is not just their inalienable right to do so; it is for our own good because it will boost business in our county. Yet business in our county was built and is sustained by a balance of quiet sports and sightseeing in the summer, and a healthy mix of the same, with an addition of snowmobiling, in the winter. What will wide-open ATV travel in the summer mean to our visitors who are here to enjoy the quiet? I think they will say “don’t call us, we’ll call you”. But, I’m sure the lodges will be overwhelmed with requests for ATV trailside accommodations so that guests can be lulled to sleep by the whine and roar of ATVs.
Will the county board listen to a vocal minority with a history of disrespect for the values of the community, and a disregard for integrity based civil discourse? Or, will the board show concern for the rights of the rest of us and our guests to quietly and peacefully enjoy our homes and community? It is hard to say.
Local governments across the state have a poor record of standing up to ATVer bullying and intimidation. However, reports are there weren’t any smiles on the faces of the commissioners at the last meeting as the club’s leaders and supporters displayed their usual standards of reason and civility. Maybe county officials are now as fed up as the rest of us over the ill will this climate of threats, bullying, and mendacity has brought to our community; maybe not. Club members we all know are getting ready to say “Metro riders, start your engines and rideupnorth(.com)”.
John Haluska
Grand Marais
ATVer rants lately have taken more twists and turns than the trails they like to carve through fragile wetlands, but I’m hearing that the community is finally getting fed up as the club now demands unfettered riding privileges throughout the county. It is time we come to our collective senses and bring ATV trail blazing to an abrupt halt.
The club initially said all they wanted was to run a ways down the road to have coffee with their like minded neighbors; that they were not at all interested in unlimited access or in turning Cook County into a magnet for Twin City ATV riders. Then, at the last county board meeting, we saw the mask drop and reality revealed in the demands they made and the threats they leveled against the county board members if the board had the temerity to put any restrictions on ATV travel. A look at members’ comments, the club’s website, the lobbying of its affiliates, of the ATV industry, and of the DNR reveals a clear, grim, picture of the future of our community as run by the ATV club.
Contrary to their original disclosures, ATVers now demand unrestricted riding throughout the county. Demonstrating a total lack of respect for the work of the ATV task force, a group known mainly for its imbalance in favor of the ATV club, club officers told the board it had to open all roads in the county to ATV riding under all circumstances – it is all or nothing. They also now insist they should be allowed to police themselves. The county board is to roll over, or else! Whatever happened to their previous promises? Whatever happened to civil, if not honest, discourse?
The local club also wants an ATV park in Cook County. On its website, www.atv.rideupnorth.com (how’s that for deterring an onslaught of Metro riders?), the club states an ATV park is a key priority. Surely there is a club member willing to donate his property for this worthy venture and no doubt he is surrounded by neighbors willing to sacrifice their peace and quiet for this noble cause. Will the lucky winners please make themselves known?
Opening the North Shore Snowmobile Trail to summer-long ATV travel is another club goal; it is shared with clubs statewide. This club priority also gets support from industry and the DNR, disregarding the original purpose and restrictions on that trail. This would allow an unlimited flow of riders from Duluth and beyond to roar into our county. It is such a comfort to know just how caring and sharing the ATV club is – caring only for themselves and sharing their hobby’s noxious noise with the rest of us.
Trashing the North Shore Snowmobile Trail is a key component in a linked, statewide system. The ATV clubs, ATV industry, the DNR and their ilk are all working on statewide connections in total disregard of real needs or of the will of the majority of Minnesotans. Whether statewide or just Cook County, most of us do not want our roads endangered, woods trashed and streams ruined, or our peace and quiet lost to what is perhaps the most selfish of outdoor activities (Don’t call ATVing a sport; it just ain’t). But, opposition is given short, if any shrift at all.
Another ATV goal is opening the Willard Munger Trail to ATV’s, thus connecting the whole Arrowhead to lower Minnesota for wide-open ATV travel. Though pushed during this legislature by the DNR, the clubs, and the ATV industry, it lost; rest assured it will be back. The intent is to link the Twin Cities to the North Shore Trail to Cook County. The benefit to our county will be an unlimited summertime supply of Metro ATV riders.
The reality is that the ATV club, with the support of the ATV industry and the DNR, is hell bent on making your county a destination for ATVs. The club tells us it is not just their inalienable right to do so; it is for our own good because it will boost business in our county. Yet business in our county was built and is sustained by a balance of quiet sports and sightseeing in the summer, and a healthy mix of the same, with an addition of snowmobiling, in the winter. What will wide-open ATV travel in the summer mean to our visitors who are here to enjoy the quiet? I think they will say “don’t call us, we’ll call you”. But, I’m sure the lodges will be overwhelmed with requests for ATV trailside accommodations so that guests can be lulled to sleep by the whine and roar of ATVs.
Will the county board listen to a vocal minority with a history of disrespect for the values of the community, and a disregard for integrity based civil discourse? Or, will the board show concern for the rights of the rest of us and our guests to quietly and peacefully enjoy our homes and community? It is hard to say.
Local governments across the state have a poor record of standing up to ATVer bullying and intimidation. However, reports are there weren’t any smiles on the faces of the commissioners at the last meeting as the club’s leaders and supporters displayed their usual standards of reason and civility. Maybe county officials are now as fed up as the rest of us over the ill will this climate of threats, bullying, and mendacity has brought to our community; maybe not. Club members we all know are getting ready to say “Metro riders, start your engines and rideupnorth(.com)”.
John Haluska
Grand Marais
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Wednesday, May 09, 2007
Foster mom asks True for backbone on issues
I almost missed this very excellent letter from Foster Mom, which was in response to a True post about the "poor tax" (i.e., new sales tax).
Others have also said we should not be anonymous. Mom makes a good point. Please share your thoughts.
True
Have a voice, people. What you think is important. Regardless of the popularity. I like this site for its voice but to be anonymous is chicken shit. It is like all the people at the local watering holes running their mouths about what should be done, while doing nothing themselves. It is a waste of time if you don't have the backbone to stand up for what you think and believe. I have a sick mother, I have a very sick father, I have work, I have dogs. I have no time for other crap.
But I begged people to come to "the meeting". True north posted it. Very few of you came came. Restaurant owners did. We beat our part of of it but when the vote came for the rest of it ... I said, "Who is here to speak for the outfitters, the other people?" and about six people raised their hands. Somebody has to speak out!!
Anonymous people deserve what they get. Nothing. We needed your opinions then! Before it left Cook County.
Sarah Hamilton
Trail Center Lodge
Others have also said we should not be anonymous. Mom makes a good point. Please share your thoughts.
True
Have a voice, people. What you think is important. Regardless of the popularity. I like this site for its voice but to be anonymous is chicken shit. It is like all the people at the local watering holes running their mouths about what should be done, while doing nothing themselves. It is a waste of time if you don't have the backbone to stand up for what you think and believe. I have a sick mother, I have a very sick father, I have work, I have dogs. I have no time for other crap.
But I begged people to come to "the meeting". True north posted it. Very few of you came came. Restaurant owners did. We beat our part of of it but when the vote came for the rest of it ... I said, "Who is here to speak for the outfitters, the other people?" and about six people raised their hands. Somebody has to speak out!!
Anonymous people deserve what they get. Nothing. We needed your opinions then! Before it left Cook County.
Sarah Hamilton
Trail Center Lodge
Tuesday, May 08, 2007
Losses on Gunflint Trail heavy with tears
Here's a feature from the Strib, an unusual and personal take on the Ham Lake fire that brings it right home for us who live here. Check out the link:
Losses on Gunflint Trail heavy with tears
Losses on Gunflint Trail heavy with tears
Thursday, May 03, 2007
House tax bill passes without local tax options
True thanks the Cook County News Herald for letting us know that our local tax "options" were not approved by the Minnesota House.
True also thanks some kind providence that perhaps favors the poor.
Here's the link:
News Express » Archive » House tax bill passes without local tax options
True also thanks some kind providence that perhaps favors the poor.
Here's the link:
News Express » Archive » House tax bill passes without local tax options
Sunday, April 29, 2007
Sales tax reprise: county to hire lobbyist!
The Cook County board will spend up to $10,000 on a lobbyist to support the sales tax proposals currently wending their way through the legislature.
The board takes this step after hearing a lot of public criticism, including Yours Truly, against more sales taxes that are hardest on the poor.
Also, it comes after their knee-jerk response to the self-justifications and manufactured facts presented by the so-called Cook County Economic Analysis Council, a self-serving group that represents resort owners and others who consistently pay the lowest wages to their employees, so that they can fund yet MORE PR stuff on their own behalf than they already get from taxpayers. (See previous posts, including "Tourism sales: one-third or 82 percent?" Click on the labels for tourism, taxes, and economy.)
True thinks of forming a Cook County Bullshit Analysis Council, writing a more truthful and fact-checked report about the county's economy and our need to promote NON-tourism jobs, and making as much noise as the ATV and CCEAC folks.
As for the dropping the cap on the hospital levy, True does support this. It is a fair tax and we need our hospital. As for the so-called "infrastructure" tax, True agrees that we need infrastructure improvements in the county, but there are plenty of state and federal and private grant programs that ought to be looked at first. $10K would pay for a powerful lot of grantwriting. Moreover, the proposed improvements in the present version will all go to Grand Marais. West-Enders, a lot of whom didn't like the sales tax idea in the first place, will get shafted.
As for the three-percent recreation tax, the idea here seems to be that only tourists will be paying it. Not so, struggling young families will be paying it so their kids can have some fun.
VOTE NO on the one-percent referendum! But the ordinary citizen apparently won't even get a vote on the three-percent, if it passes the legislature. True calls this TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION! Only the CCEAC is represented, not the vast majority of voters and taxpayers.
The board takes this step after hearing a lot of public criticism, including Yours Truly, against more sales taxes that are hardest on the poor.
Also, it comes after their knee-jerk response to the self-justifications and manufactured facts presented by the so-called Cook County Economic Analysis Council, a self-serving group that represents resort owners and others who consistently pay the lowest wages to their employees, so that they can fund yet MORE PR stuff on their own behalf than they already get from taxpayers. (See previous posts, including "Tourism sales: one-third or 82 percent?" Click on the labels for tourism, taxes, and economy.)
True thinks of forming a Cook County Bullshit Analysis Council, writing a more truthful and fact-checked report about the county's economy and our need to promote NON-tourism jobs, and making as much noise as the ATV and CCEAC folks.
As for the dropping the cap on the hospital levy, True does support this. It is a fair tax and we need our hospital. As for the so-called "infrastructure" tax, True agrees that we need infrastructure improvements in the county, but there are plenty of state and federal and private grant programs that ought to be looked at first. $10K would pay for a powerful lot of grantwriting. Moreover, the proposed improvements in the present version will all go to Grand Marais. West-Enders, a lot of whom didn't like the sales tax idea in the first place, will get shafted.
As for the three-percent recreation tax, the idea here seems to be that only tourists will be paying it. Not so, struggling young families will be paying it so their kids can have some fun.
VOTE NO on the one-percent referendum! But the ordinary citizen apparently won't even get a vote on the three-percent, if it passes the legislature. True calls this TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION! Only the CCEAC is represented, not the vast majority of voters and taxpayers.
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Tourism sales: one-third or 82 percent?
Readers, check out this story in yesterday's Duluth paper. It says about one-third of sales in Cook County are tourism-related, a far cry from the 82 percent used by the tourism group calling itself the Economic Analysis Council that wants us all to pay more in sales taxes to increase tourism promotional budgets.
It does look like the Minnesota House may balk at the proposal for a recreation tax to create a super-tourism board.
True has heard rumblings all over the county of people who don't want to pay a regressive sales tax to support the industry that pays us the least (on average $297 per week) of all county jobs.
Click the link to read the story, "Tapping Assets of the North Shore":
· Duluth News Tribune ·
It does look like the Minnesota House may balk at the proposal for a recreation tax to create a super-tourism board.
True has heard rumblings all over the county of people who don't want to pay a regressive sales tax to support the industry that pays us the least (on average $297 per week) of all county jobs.
Click the link to read the story, "Tapping Assets of the North Shore":
· Duluth News Tribune ·
Monday, April 02, 2007
ATVers Steal the Peace
True,
If the CCStar would once display some objectivity, some balance in their reporting and choice of letters I wouldn't write this weekly digression but , here we go again: if there are no letters that disagree with the pro ATV view of the paper it is either 1) anyone disagreeing is not likely to be published, or 2) those in disagreement don't bother writing to the CCStar because it is a waste of time.
Thomas Bernier writes that Cascade Beach Rd is noisy because of semis on 61 so we should put up with the additional noise of ATVs. Really. If you are having difficulty with the existing noise level it is OK to add to it because you are already disturbed? Really! I live a mile and a half back from 61 and the trucks don't make as much noise as the ATVs. I suppose I should invite the truckers to drive closer to me because the ATVs are already disturbing my peace! Sorry Tom, that analogy doesn't cut it. But you did ask if I ever "read the safety warnings in your motor vehicle"? Well, yes, Tom, I have and if ATVs met 10% of my motor vehicles safety standards I might be more accepting of them sharing road space with me. But, Tom, ATVs are exempt from almost every safety standard applied to road vehicles because they are not designed for road use, so, no, I am not willing to share the road with them.
Brian Silence suggests that since fatalities on the ski hill have been greater than fatalities illegally riding ATVs on the road we should allow ATVs the opportunity to challenge those casualties by permitting them to legally compete! Yes, Brian, there are risks in every activity, but the usual response is to try to REDUCE that risk, not increase it. And, Brian, I am glad you can laugh, and I hope you can laugh at yourself as Clyde's comments are at least statistically defensible, looking at who was at the meeting only tells you who was at the meeting, not how bright or how financially secure they are.
I think a quick and thorough search of economic data will support the thought that silent sports in general contribute far more to the area than the noisy sports and with less negative impact, and that birders are on the high end of that scale. But this isn't a laughing matter, Brian, it has serious impacts on a lot of lives up here, not just for the convenience of a few but for the impact the noise, added pollution, and added damage to the landscape has on all of us. The reason many of us have chosen Grand Marais is that it was a peaceful haven, an outpost of wilderness, a community of arts. If you like the noise, if you like the interaction of motorheads, if you like the cacophony of a mechanized society: live in the TC metro area. Me, I love big cities with their hustle and bustle, but only for short periods, for relief I live in Grand Marais, don't try to steal that from me.
fastjerry
If the CCStar would once display some objectivity, some balance in their reporting and choice of letters I wouldn't write this weekly digression but , here we go again: if there are no letters that disagree with the pro ATV view of the paper it is either 1) anyone disagreeing is not likely to be published, or 2) those in disagreement don't bother writing to the CCStar because it is a waste of time.
Thomas Bernier writes that Cascade Beach Rd is noisy because of semis on 61 so we should put up with the additional noise of ATVs. Really. If you are having difficulty with the existing noise level it is OK to add to it because you are already disturbed? Really! I live a mile and a half back from 61 and the trucks don't make as much noise as the ATVs. I suppose I should invite the truckers to drive closer to me because the ATVs are already disturbing my peace! Sorry Tom, that analogy doesn't cut it. But you did ask if I ever "read the safety warnings in your motor vehicle"? Well, yes, Tom, I have and if ATVs met 10% of my motor vehicles safety standards I might be more accepting of them sharing road space with me. But, Tom, ATVs are exempt from almost every safety standard applied to road vehicles because they are not designed for road use, so, no, I am not willing to share the road with them.
Brian Silence suggests that since fatalities on the ski hill have been greater than fatalities illegally riding ATVs on the road we should allow ATVs the opportunity to challenge those casualties by permitting them to legally compete! Yes, Brian, there are risks in every activity, but the usual response is to try to REDUCE that risk, not increase it. And, Brian, I am glad you can laugh, and I hope you can laugh at yourself as Clyde's comments are at least statistically defensible, looking at who was at the meeting only tells you who was at the meeting, not how bright or how financially secure they are.
I think a quick and thorough search of economic data will support the thought that silent sports in general contribute far more to the area than the noisy sports and with less negative impact, and that birders are on the high end of that scale. But this isn't a laughing matter, Brian, it has serious impacts on a lot of lives up here, not just for the convenience of a few but for the impact the noise, added pollution, and added damage to the landscape has on all of us. The reason many of us have chosen Grand Marais is that it was a peaceful haven, an outpost of wilderness, a community of arts. If you like the noise, if you like the interaction of motorheads, if you like the cacophony of a mechanized society: live in the TC metro area. Me, I love big cities with their hustle and bustle, but only for short periods, for relief I live in Grand Marais, don't try to steal that from me.
fastjerry
Monday, March 26, 2007
An Alternate ATV Strategy
ATV use on county roads could be bad news for some residents and I have a couple of proposals to eliminate the problem.
I think a few of us might be in for some unpleasant surprises in the future if the county ATV ordinance comes to pass. Imagine a young family living out near Pike Lake, or up the Caribou Trail or Sawbill trail, or any of the county roads for that matter.
Families might have two people working different schedules, both driving to a town or work. The children will be taking the school bus twice a day during the school year, but there are still after school things that require extra trips. When school isn't in session, extra trips are required to get the kids to friends, the pool, special events, etc.
My point is that most of us who live out of town spend a lot of time driving to and from town. It is unfortunately part of our lifestyle. Now imagine that this ATV ordinance goes through. We will be facing groups of ATV riders on our county roads traveling at no more that 30 MPH. There could be a lot of groups and they could travel in packs of up to a dozen machines. Passing these groups could be a dangerous proposition due to lack of visibility on many of our roads, or oncoming traffic.
Think of this over and over as you go about your busy life driving to work or hauling your children. Most county gravel roads can accommodate vehicle traffic at up to 50 MPH safely and the black top sections 55 or 60 MPH. Now we will all be forced to slow to 30 MPH, perhaps more than anybody realizes. (I know the ATV clubs says this is just for the locals but they want this to pass for their own selfish reasons and don't want to explore the consequences.)
Of course this bodes well for some of the business community who will love the extra business that these out of town ATV riders will bring. Other businesses that cater to a different type of outdoor enthusiasts will see business decline due to the turn off factor of seeing these machines buzzing around which destroys the esthetics of the region.
Imagine if you live on a county road that becomes a connection to a larger trail system up over the hill. The ATV traffic on these stretches is hard to predict. The business people in Tofte want the Sawbill Trail to provide this connection. Prepare to waste a lot of time following ATV dust and plan a little extra time to get to town.
Now I have an answer on how to accommodate the ATV community. Why not build hard surface trails along side the roads like they are doing for bicycles along highway 61. The only reason I can think that this can't be done is that the majority of the Minnesota population support bike riders and don't support ATV use.
Another solution would be for ATV users to learn how to balance and take up riding motorcycles.
This ordinance is a bad idea and has wasted a lot of time and energy and I can't believe the county is even entertaining the idea. It is going to detract from the quality of life for many of us, and we vote.
Pike Lake Jake
I think a few of us might be in for some unpleasant surprises in the future if the county ATV ordinance comes to pass. Imagine a young family living out near Pike Lake, or up the Caribou Trail or Sawbill trail, or any of the county roads for that matter.
Families might have two people working different schedules, both driving to a town or work. The children will be taking the school bus twice a day during the school year, but there are still after school things that require extra trips. When school isn't in session, extra trips are required to get the kids to friends, the pool, special events, etc.
My point is that most of us who live out of town spend a lot of time driving to and from town. It is unfortunately part of our lifestyle. Now imagine that this ATV ordinance goes through. We will be facing groups of ATV riders on our county roads traveling at no more that 30 MPH. There could be a lot of groups and they could travel in packs of up to a dozen machines. Passing these groups could be a dangerous proposition due to lack of visibility on many of our roads, or oncoming traffic.
Think of this over and over as you go about your busy life driving to work or hauling your children. Most county gravel roads can accommodate vehicle traffic at up to 50 MPH safely and the black top sections 55 or 60 MPH. Now we will all be forced to slow to 30 MPH, perhaps more than anybody realizes. (I know the ATV clubs says this is just for the locals but they want this to pass for their own selfish reasons and don't want to explore the consequences.)
Of course this bodes well for some of the business community who will love the extra business that these out of town ATV riders will bring. Other businesses that cater to a different type of outdoor enthusiasts will see business decline due to the turn off factor of seeing these machines buzzing around which destroys the esthetics of the region.
Imagine if you live on a county road that becomes a connection to a larger trail system up over the hill. The ATV traffic on these stretches is hard to predict. The business people in Tofte want the Sawbill Trail to provide this connection. Prepare to waste a lot of time following ATV dust and plan a little extra time to get to town.
Now I have an answer on how to accommodate the ATV community. Why not build hard surface trails along side the roads like they are doing for bicycles along highway 61. The only reason I can think that this can't be done is that the majority of the Minnesota population support bike riders and don't support ATV use.
Another solution would be for ATV users to learn how to balance and take up riding motorcycles.
This ordinance is a bad idea and has wasted a lot of time and energy and I can't believe the county is even entertaining the idea. It is going to detract from the quality of life for many of us, and we vote.
Pike Lake Jake
Sunday, March 25, 2007
C C Star Keeps Pushing ATVs, Sacrificing Credibility
The CC Star does it again. And again and again and again. This weeks edition contains a lead story about the ATV meeting at the county board: one certainly could came away thinking this was an event of millennial proportions, that we are on the cusp of a whole new era in transportation comparable to the dawn of the automobile society and perhaps on par with the invention of the wheel itself.
In fact one might get the impression that the wheel was invented FOR the ATV. One also might believe (if you weren't there) that the ATV crowd was overly generous in their hospitality to the tiny bunch of oddballs that just can't accept the inevitable progress of the "infernal" compression engine, and, oh yeah, we'll let "one" anti ATVer sit on the committee especially since it is otherwise so stacked with pro ATVers they couldn't possibly come up with even a compromise proposal.
If you believe THAT report, you probably could be convinced that the National Enquirer is a solid scientific journal, or that the world is flat.
Simply put, that article is one of the worst (or best?) examples of yellow journalism I've come across outside the National Review. It is advocacy journalism at its most stellar: the CC Star is not really a newspaper; rather it is the newsletter of the ATV club that happens to occasionally carry some news.
The paper's fact finding, use of made up statistics, and pseudo science are a monumental testimony to the misinformed, and yet they get to stuff it, wanted or not, into our mailboxes every week. Bill O'Reilly would cringe at calling it fair and balanced reporting; I'd need to get a caged bird to make appropriate use of it, or maybe I could go fishing.
Fastjerry
In fact one might get the impression that the wheel was invented FOR the ATV. One also might believe (if you weren't there) that the ATV crowd was overly generous in their hospitality to the tiny bunch of oddballs that just can't accept the inevitable progress of the "infernal" compression engine, and, oh yeah, we'll let "one" anti ATVer sit on the committee especially since it is otherwise so stacked with pro ATVers they couldn't possibly come up with even a compromise proposal.
If you believe THAT report, you probably could be convinced that the National Enquirer is a solid scientific journal, or that the world is flat.
Simply put, that article is one of the worst (or best?) examples of yellow journalism I've come across outside the National Review. It is advocacy journalism at its most stellar: the CC Star is not really a newspaper; rather it is the newsletter of the ATV club that happens to occasionally carry some news.
The paper's fact finding, use of made up statistics, and pseudo science are a monumental testimony to the misinformed, and yet they get to stuff it, wanted or not, into our mailboxes every week. Bill O'Reilly would cringe at calling it fair and balanced reporting; I'd need to get a caged bird to make appropriate use of it, or maybe I could go fishing.
Fastjerry
Saturday, March 24, 2007
Open Letter to Rhonda and CC Star
Benjamin Disraeli claimed that there are three kinds of lies: lies, damnedlies, and statistics. Someone else unknown said that 78% of all statistics are made up on the spot. The letter in this weeks Star from Steve and MaryKay Fleace attempts to prove both statements.
First, on the question on madeup statistics, a review of the sources cited does not substantially support the numbers provided in their letter: in the case of bicycle pedestrian accidents they report “47 fatalities and 1,948 total accidents among bicyclists and pedestrians.”, yet the source shows for bicycles alone 11,335 crashes from 1996 - 2005 with 81 deaths and 9,915 injuries in the same period. In a report by the MNDOT (The Benefits of Bicycling in Minnesota 2004-50) there are 110,000 to 130,000 people riding bikes on a typical spring/summer day (low), suggesting an accident rate far lower than for other forms of transportation including ATVs. Conveniently left out is the number of ATV fatalities over a similar period: 114 killed (1995 thru 2004); considering that ATVs make up only a tiny fraction of the number of bicycles, the ATV rate of accident/death is appalling.
Second, concerning the third kind of lie, the use of an averaged 10 year period for ATV accidents is extremely misleading considering that the number of annual registrations in the first five years is less than half the number in the latter 5 years. Using that approach I can statistically claim that the fatalities in 2004 (24) compared to 1996 show a 6 fold increase and more than doubled the 2002 figure: ATVing doesn’t look quite as safe. Add in that the state effectively banned ATVs from the roads in 1985 and one should expect ATV accident numbers to drop dramatically.
When looking at the school bus figures the number of buses is said to be about 14,000 but left out of the equation is the fact that those 14,000 buses carried 843,083 kids (1999), the presence of which certainly needs to be factored into the fatality/injury figures.
Third, the authors make much of the application of the state statistics to the Cook County population base, simply overlooking the fact that the accident rate for motor vehicles is more than three times higher in rural counties than their urban counterparts.
Lastly, Rhonda, is your own impassioned plea for open use on the roads. You apparently have not been inconvenienced by the current status, having been able to drive to and from work and around town without restraint. In fact, if it was only for you or a couple of others that might claim some medical disabilities for not walking or bicycling, I might support granting a special permit allowing such use, but the truth is that the proposed county ordinance applies to everyone, yes everyone of the 223,714 (2004) recreational machines out there, and while not all of them are coming to Grand Marais, enough of them will come to make life less pleasant for the silent sports visitors that contribute much, much more to our local economy.
fastjerry
First, on the question on madeup statistics, a review of the sources cited does not substantially support the numbers provided in their letter: in the case of bicycle pedestrian accidents they report “47 fatalities and 1,948 total accidents among bicyclists and pedestrians.”, yet the source shows for bicycles alone 11,335 crashes from 1996 - 2005 with 81 deaths and 9,915 injuries in the same period. In a report by the MNDOT (The Benefits of Bicycling in Minnesota 2004-50) there are 110,000 to 130,000 people riding bikes on a typical spring/summer day (low), suggesting an accident rate far lower than for other forms of transportation including ATVs. Conveniently left out is the number of ATV fatalities over a similar period: 114 killed (1995 thru 2004); considering that ATVs make up only a tiny fraction of the number of bicycles, the ATV rate of accident/death is appalling.
Second, concerning the third kind of lie, the use of an averaged 10 year period for ATV accidents is extremely misleading considering that the number of annual registrations in the first five years is less than half the number in the latter 5 years. Using that approach I can statistically claim that the fatalities in 2004 (24) compared to 1996 show a 6 fold increase and more than doubled the 2002 figure: ATVing doesn’t look quite as safe. Add in that the state effectively banned ATVs from the roads in 1985 and one should expect ATV accident numbers to drop dramatically.
When looking at the school bus figures the number of buses is said to be about 14,000 but left out of the equation is the fact that those 14,000 buses carried 843,083 kids (1999), the presence of which certainly needs to be factored into the fatality/injury figures.
Third, the authors make much of the application of the state statistics to the Cook County population base, simply overlooking the fact that the accident rate for motor vehicles is more than three times higher in rural counties than their urban counterparts.
Lastly, Rhonda, is your own impassioned plea for open use on the roads. You apparently have not been inconvenienced by the current status, having been able to drive to and from work and around town without restraint. In fact, if it was only for you or a couple of others that might claim some medical disabilities for not walking or bicycling, I might support granting a special permit allowing such use, but the truth is that the proposed county ordinance applies to everyone, yes everyone of the 223,714 (2004) recreational machines out there, and while not all of them are coming to Grand Marais, enough of them will come to make life less pleasant for the silent sports visitors that contribute much, much more to our local economy.
fastjerry
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