The Associated Press – 1/31/2007:
Some parts of the Upper Peninsula might be declared disaster areas because of the lack of snow earlier this season.
The Michigan Economic Development Corp. is sounding out local business leaders to determine how winter tourism has fared.
Cathi Cole, an account manager with the agency, said she sent the e-mail inquiries after hearing from a couple of Upper Peninsula businesses about the possibility of government assistance.
“If our businesses were adversely affected, we want to make sure they get the help,” Merrill said.
Michigan, put your hand back in your pocket and back away.
I don’t know how to feel about this. On the one hand it’s not much different than hardship caused by a bad storm except in this case it’s the lack of storms. On the other hand I don’t really like the idea of resources going to bail out businesses that may be heading for continued hard times anyway. Letting weak businesses fail is a natural selection event that makes the economy stronger overall. I fear we may see more of this ahead.
“I fear we may see more of this ahead. ”
No we won’t there’s no such thing as global warming. This is obviously a case of Canadians stealing our snow, and we need to invade immediately in defense of our powdery frozen essential fluids.
Why can’t these people just accept their lack of snow as the punishment from God that it was intended to be? My theory is that their snow pack is inversely proportional to their level of wickedness, and helping them out would simply anger God further.
Michigan, just be glad He didn’t brimstone your ass 😉
2. “Letting weak businesses fail is a natural selection event that makes the economy stronger overall.”
I agree with you. Declaring disaster areas should be used solely for sudden and unexpected emergencies. To keep otherwise healthy businesses in business.
However, if global warming is here to stay why should the government be propping up snow and winter related businesses? It’s only a matter of time before they’re gone for good and the money could be better spent elsewhere.
I’m in the most southern part of lower Michigan, and the UP can have the 2½ feet of snow that has fallen here since last Saturday. Come and get it, there’s a six-foot pile at the end of my driveway.
2. “I don’t know how to feel about this. On the one hand it’s not much different than hardship caused by a bad storm except in this case it’s the lack of storms.
Sorry man, but having been through 5 hurricanes, thats BS. Lets see, I lost my house car and all my possesions, theres no work and power may not be restored for months vs. business is slow this year.
I am in the Upper Peninsula, and the beginning of this year, there was an extreme lack of snow. But we seem to be back on schedule with snow every day now.
7. “Lets see, I lost my house car and all my possesions, theres no work and power may not be restored for months vs. business is slow this year“
God, that was funny!
#7, Mark – bummer.
Come work up here in Montreal, Canada. The IS industry is booming.
Montreal has cheaper & better co-loc centers than New York or Toronto. (well, we do have a better electrical infrastructure, and on par telecom)
PLUS, you can come skiing during our VASTLY reduced ski season, for 3 years in a row – getting worse. So for a southerner like you, you’ll be fine during our wonder 5 month summer (instead of 3) and a not-so-bad winter.
Worst is over, a solid week of -20c + windchill. Today is +1.
Yoopers?
This sounds like a state agency, not a federal one. Michigan would be reaching its hand into its own pocket.
It’s almost time for CPR; Michigan is choking badly once again… and it needs more than the Heimlech Maneuver to save it. Just be glad it hasn’t whined about being the worst economically situated state in the USA which still sends far more tax $$$ to the Feds than it receives.
Not Yoopers. Da Yoopers!
10. Derail, I’m not that far south anymore, taking a break in Colorado, where the skiing is just fine. AND no 175mph winds. Woo Hoo. Beside, I thought you were in Utah for some reason.
12. “It’s almost time for CPR”
No, pulling the plug is the only option. We could move the only “cool” Michigan city Ann Arbor closer to Berkley California and everyone would be happy.
It’d also solve the problem with the Lions.
people bitching about NO SNOW???!??!??!??!?!?!
this is a serious case of WTF
Since noone is coming there to ski or play in the snow or whatever, the taxpayer is now forced to shoulder the burden. Who in their right mind believes that anyone should be forced to cover these losses? Oh yeah, politicians – because people vote for this sort of feel-good crap.
I don’t ski, so why should I be forced to pay for businesses that cater to skiers when business is down (or non-existant.) If we didn’t make people so dependent on government, they’d get insurance to cover just this sort of problem, and those who didn’t would just have to rely on reserves or go out of business.
I’m not really sure how this is much different from the California Orange growers getting assistance because it got unseasonably cold and some crops were lost because of freezing.
If we are going to bail someone out because of the weather, when you know the risks in the first place, then it seems to me it should go both ways.
Anything to get more of the fed’s money.
SN…how does shipping Ann Arbor to CA fix the Lions? Does Wm Clay Ford live there or something? Whatever it is, I’m all for it.
BTW, there are a couple cool cities on the west coast.
The utility company serving (Ha Ha) St. Louis, MO asks for and receives rate hikes when the weather is unseasonably warm in winter. But they aren’t paid by the taxpayers so the pols allow it to happen. If your business can’t make money, it needs to fail!
20. “how does shipping Ann Arbor to CA fix the Lions? “
Shipping Ann Arbor to CA would not fix the Lions. Pulling the plug on Michigan would. Sorry for the confusion.
21. “If your business can’t make money, it needs to fail!”
A local horse race track recently asked the state to allow it to have slot machines. It said that without slot machines it’d go out of business.
I thought: Gee, how many bankrupt businesses would still be in business if they too were allowed to break the law.
A good maxim: If the only way you can stay in business is to break the law, you might as well pack it in.
Here in Sweden there was a lack of snow, but it came late. On the other hand no snowclearing of roads or problems with powerlines getting knocked down by snow or trees is a profit. I guess it evens out.
Yay, a global warmer skeptic now acknowledges GW as fact.
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2006/06/frank_luntz_acc.php
Way to go Frank, never too late.
We had a slow start to the ski season in my area. That’s the risk with that sort of business. It’s headed for single digits this weekend. The slopes will be packed.
“However, if global warming is here to stay why should the government be propping up snow and winter related businesses?”
They shouldn’t.
I believe as the only yooper (a local nickname of a person form the upper peninsula of Michigan) who reads this great blog that I have unique information about this situation. I agree that the lack of weather has hurt the travel industry but I think that it is obtuse that our local businesses are asking for federal aid. When your business model depends on the weather you need to plan for lack of it and not look for the governments involvement. Also I think it was stupid of our businesses to get so dependent on travel in the first place. They should have stuck with mining but this will be a non issue soon enough when summer begins and more out landers come to see the great lakes.
Say yeah to da UP ah!
Dave
27. “I believe as the only yooper…”
Are you telling me they finally got phone lines up there?! 😉
Hey there are 2 yoopers that read dvorak’s site!
Global Warming is a disaster … even if Bush, Limbaugh and the neo-cons are in denial about it.
Expect more of this.