Squaw Valley CEO Andy Wirth's Negative Letter About Incorporation

[LightRanger]

Mammoth certainly has plenty of influence on Mammoth Lakes.

QFT.....

[Hugh Conway]

Hell, based on the airport fuckup and the subsequent bankruptcy, it's a useful entity for the resort not a hindrance.

But it's still awesome that fucking Vail doesn't know about fucking Vail.

[TahoeJ]

But it's still awesome that fucking Vail doesn't know about fucking Vail.

I had the same reaction. Hilarious. Maybe Wirth didn't really need to "dumb things down" after all.

[irul&ublo]

I get that the locals don't feel Placer county gubmnt represents their interests very well - most of the county's population lives around Sacto, so that's the prevailing view on life. As you say, that's how democracy works. I don't see any problem incorporating a town to set standards the locals find more suitable. I just take issue with the concept that KSL has zero say in whether they will be a part of this new city.

Not Sacto...Roseville. Very different politically

[raisingarizona13]

The internet is a funny thing. I'm not sure where I saw it but I'm pretty sure I saw something that said Dr. Robb G. has let go of his ambassador status with SV and it has something to do with the village development. Not sure exactly tho, fuckin interwebs.

[jahroy]

^^ he sure did.

check the "Friends of Squaw Valley" thread:

Posted on Dr Robb Gaffney's Facebook page:

After much consideration, I have resigned my position as a skiing “ambassador” of Squaw Valley. I have represented Squaw for 20 years and have thoroughly enjoyed the mountain and the camaraderie of a community energized by a shared passion for skiing, snowboarding and the outdoors. As we all know, Squaw is going through significant changes and the driving forces behind these changes have shifted the local climate in a direction that is uncomfortable for me. With all change comes tension and I welcome tension when it brings us to new and better places. But I don’t trust that this tension, at least at this time, is headed in a positive direction. I am not opposed to change, I am not anti-development, and I recognize that Squaw needs drastic updating and improvement. However, I am not comfortable being linked to an organization and a process that fundamentally disturbs me at several levels. Now that doesn’t mean I disagree with everything that has gone on in the last 3 years. I have a lot of hope and belief that the greater process will work out in Olympic Valley’s favor. But for now, as a service to my sport and as a representative of all who love sliding on snow, I am releasing any binds that could prevent me from thinking, speaking, or acting independently.

Robb Gaffney

[old goat]

As Hugh Conway points out (I might have to take him off my ignore list) in one company towns it's the company that runs the town, not vice versa. Ask any NW lumber town, or the state of West Virginia, for that matter, where the coal companies can pollute the water, even of the state capital, with impunity. Ask Detroit what happens when the dominant industry fails or moves away. A town of OV will be totally dependent on SV for it's revenues, the more development SV does the more revenue the town will have. If OV were to block a KSL development and KSL sues, who will have the bigger bucks to fight it out in court. I'm no fan of KSL, or Placer County, but I'm not convinced that IOV is the answer (not that I have any say in the matter), certainly not inherently so. It could turn out to be--depends on who wound up on the town council and on economic vagaries of the ski industry (what will global warming due to the finances of the town?)

[Bunion 2020]

^^ he sure did.

check the "Friends of Squaw Valley" thread:

Kudos to the Good Doctor for Walking the Walk.

[FriendsofSV]

Andy Wirth was on Capitol Public Radio suggesting that Squaw Valley Ski Resort should not be part of the proposed Town of Olympic Valley.

http://www.capradio.org/articles/201...rate-new-town/

[FriendsofSV]

How am I assessing leadership in the valley?

April 15, 2014 at 8:26am

Who do I trust?

Meet Dr. Fred Ilfeld, the chairman of Incorporate Olympic Valley. Fred graduated from Yale University and went on to Harvard Medical School. He completed his psychiatric residency at Stanford and worked as a researcher for the National Institute of Mental Health before moving back out west to work in private practice and as faculty for UC Davis. He then moved to Tahoe and opened a private practice in Squaw Valley, where he retired in 1999. He is currently a member of the volunteer clinical faculty at UNR. Fred is a philanthropist at heart. He has done so much for the community and I will reserve that information for a future post because I don’t want to make this one too long. For 11 years I have worked closely with Fred and I respect him as one of the most genuine and caring individuals I know.

For these reasons, I had a hard time listening to this interview when Andy Wirth called Fred’s statement “disingenuous". Is this "psychological projection"? You decide.

"Psychological projection is the act or technique of defending yourself against unpleasant impulses by denying their existence in yourself, while attributing them to others. For example, a person who is <a>rude</a> may accuse other people of being rude."

Here is the NPR interview:

http://www.kunr.org/news/tensions-mo...-town-at-squaw

[splat]

It is indeed projection, Robb.
I thought at one time that Andy had said he wanted to work with the community.
I guess what he didn't say was that it was his corporate community he was talking about.
One in which only his hedge fund monopoly, profit-oriented, take the money and run opinions counted.
Kinda reminds me of Bush jr.'s talking points, where one could assume the opposite of what was being said.

[FriendsofSV]

One of IOV's board members did a Q and A with Derek Taylor

http://www.mtnadvisor.com/article/mo...vement/?id=384

[creaky fossil]

Projection and vilification is standard strategy in 21st Century USA politics, it's a new tweak on triangulation, which was Bill Clinton's favorite tactic.

Nice move by Gaffney shucking the ambassador spot to be freer to speak his mind. Acts always speak louder than empty words.

[epicski]

Why would PR people use the opinions of a former HP Treasurer (1993-2003) in full page adverts just as the FBI, IRS and SEC released media articles that scatched HP Co San Franscisco and o/seas subsidiaries for 'slush funds' and bribes and poor accounting - coincidentally on his watch - from 1999 until he stepped down in 2003. I'm sure the guy didn't know anything but it was on his watch and his expertise doesn't look so expert when you read what the feds thought about was going on under nose.

"Mr. Lawrence J. Tomlinson, also known as Larry, served as Treasurer of Hewlett-Packard Co. from 1993 to June 2003 and served as its Senior Vice President from 2002 to June 2003. Mr. Tomlinson has a broad global financial and administrative background that includes expertise in controllership, tax, treasury, order fulfillment, information technology, distribution, logistics and financial strategic alliances. He has extensive management, leadership, and technical competence ..."

[FriendsofSV]

More on Dr Robb Gaffney's resignation in this week's Sierra Sun

http://www.tahoedailytribune.com/nor...fney-community

[FriendsofSV]

Unofficial Alpine's latest post, Squashing Our Voices

http://unofficialalpine.com/?p=4178

[splat]

Are people asserting that KSL started Save Olympic Village as a disinformation network?

[TahoeJ]

Are people asserting that KSL started Save Olympic Village as a disinformation network?

Is that even a secret?

[epicski]

How, if at all, will the cost of the power water sewer and cable be passed on to landowners. Will it be via the water board imposing a levy or the power company raising prices, or will landowners be charged to take pipes from the street to the house, or is it all free? And if its water and other boards that are passing on costs, why are people claiming IOV - which doesn't exist as a town yet - will illegally imposes taxes without voter approval.

[splat]

Is that even a secret?

I just wanted it out in the open to leave little room in case anyone misinterpreted it's objective.

[Jim S]

Interesting to note that Dr. Gaffney lives in Tahoe City and not in Olympic Valley...I mean that in a positive light.

[FriendsofSV]

The Sierra Sun has an online poll about incorporation.

http://apps.tahoedailytribune.com/ut...oll_ident=4163

[FriendsofSV]

Dr Fred Ilfeld's opinion piece in the Sierra Sun

Incorporation Olympic Valley and Squaw Valley Can Work Together

http://www.tahoedailytribune.com/nor...y-valley-squaw

[freshie247]

"We don’t claim to represent all of Squaw’s stakeholders, but we challenge anyone to name a group more qualified to make political decisions representative of Squaw’s interests than its registered voters. "

Obviously these leftist ,pinko, commie, libertine, anarchist's are against God given American Exceptionalism , are trying to destroy the economy, & aren't worthy of their status as citizens. Hopefully the next Supreme Court ruling will give back the rights to corporations that provide the jobs to the great, unappreciative,unwashed masses.

[FriendsofSV]

Here's another article on the Incorporation

Can Squaw Valley slow the development juggernaut?

http://summitcountyvoice.com/2014/04...nt-juggernaut/