The Last Stand
Comments by Rob Douglas
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On Rob Douglas: Downtown parking redux
May 12, 2008 at 5:38 p.m.
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On May 21 & 22 there will be a conference on transportation issues here in Steamboat titled:
Planes, Trains, and Automobiles—Transportation and our Economic Future
see:
http://www.steamboat-chamber.com/info/ec…
Topics include:
1) The “Quiet Crisis” in Transportation Funding
2) Highway 40: Congestion or Compromise?
3) Carbon Footprint of Travel and Renewable Fuels
4) Plans for Getting Around Town
5) Understanding the Needs of our City and County Road System
6) Flying to the Future
7) Regional Transportation Authority as Potential Solution for Funding and Implementation in NW Colorado
How do you establish a regional transportation authority and fund it?
8) Where to Park for How Much?
9) Recreating on Public Lands
10) Alternative Transportation
11) Passenger Rail Service: Myth or Reality
On Rob Douglas: Is business a dirty word?
April 15, 2008 at 12:54 a.m.
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Triple Crown update:
as per http://steamboatpilot.com/news/2008/apr/…
“City Council was scheduled to hold the first reading of an ordinance (at tonight's meeting) extending its contract with Triple Crown Sports through 2010. The reading of that ordinance has been postponed so council members can first meet with Triple Crown officials. Triple Crown has put forth a controversial proposal to use fields at Emerald Park in 2009 and 2010. Councilwoman Cari Hermacinski said postponing the ordinance also will allow for officials in Hayden to discuss the possible use of fields in that town instead of Emerald Park.”
On Rob Douglas: Is business a dirty word?
April 13, 2008 at 7:04 a.m.
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Triple Crown Update—
As per the latest information available from those working to solve the issues raised by the growth of Triple Crown:
1) Additional field space will be needed by the summer of 2010, instead of 2009.
2) Significant efforts are underway to obtain fields, other than those at Emerald Park, prior to 2010.
3) A first reading by City Council of a contract extension for Triple Crown, without the use of Emerald Park, will most likely take place at this Tuesday's (April 15th) council meeting.
Of course, the above is subject to change as negotiations continue and until a contract is finalized and voted upon by the council.
I would encourage anyone and everyone to attend the council meeting and make use of the political process to express your desired outcome.
Thank you for your interest and involvement in this important issue.
Rob Douglas
On Rob Douglas: Put an Emerald on this Crown
April 4, 2008 at 3:59 p.m.
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Let me respond to one more issue here and I'll try to check back later and respond to more, but other work is piling up.
A couple of you have picked up on the Iraq War comparison and disagreed. Well sorry, I disagree with you.
Legislative bodies cannot commit future legislative bodies to any course of action. That is true whether it is Steamboat Springs or the Congress of the U.S.
In fact, one of the major points of confrontation between Congress and Bush right now is Congress feels Bush (and a substantial portion of the current Congress) is trying to obligate future Congresses to financially burdensome commitments inside Iraq via agreements being signed between the Iraqi government and the Bush administration. Congress, correctly, is saying that is their responsibility and that future Congreses can and should evaluate our commitment based on facts at that time.
Same applies to Steamboat. Engelken and previous councils can no more tie the hands of future councils than Bush or the current Congress can of future Congresses.
It really is that simple.
OK—I need to get all the things I haven't done today done. As some of you seem unhappy with my trying to have a dialogue here, I guess I'll reconsider whether it's worth it. I suppose I could be like most columnists and not respond to questions or comments.
Rob
On Rob Douglas: Put an Emerald on this Crown
April 4, 2008 at 3:35 p.m.
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fishy:
—There are plenty of witnesses to the call and it has been preserved for appropriate action if need be. It is not the only call like that I've received over the last 6 weeks, nor will it be the last I'm sure. It goes with the territory of expressing opinions. Sad—but true. There are some folks who can't express themselves absent profanity and hoped for death.
—as to the rest, we'll have to agree to disagree.
On Rob Douglas: Put an Emerald on this Crown
April 4, 2008 at 3:28 p.m.
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nofear:
First, I'm Rob. No need to be formal.
I agree with you. There does need to a long-term view of the issue. I know the editorial page has called for that, as recently as February if my memory serves, and I wouldn't be surprised to see more about that very soon.
So yes. There needs to be a much longer view of this to wit: Does Steamboat want a long-term relationship with TC? Does TC want to be here long-term? If the answer to those are yes, what can be done to get a facility off the ground? Constantly having 2-year extensions is not good for either party.
Hopefully, you and others will appreciate that I only have 700 words, give or take, per week in print. I use those to make my point as clearly as possible. I also try to take time (probably more than I should given other responsibilities in life) to answer responsible comments here to more fully develop the conversation. I don't get compensated for this extra part—but I try my best to encourage debate on the issues.
Thanks—
Rob
On Rob Douglas: Put an Emerald on this Crown
April 4, 2008 at 3:14 p.m.
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To the caller who just left the profanity soaked voicemail demanding I leave town or, in the alternative, that I should die. Three points.
1) I'm not leaving.
2) I'm have no plans on dying.
3) Your use of caller ID blocking does not stop Qwest and the police from tracing your number.
Have a nice day.
Rob
On Rob Douglas: Put an Emerald on this Crown
April 4, 2008 at 3:04 p.m.
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id:
I wish I could get you a link to the study I referenced, but unfortunately I am only aware of copies in print. While I cannot claim that it would answer all the questions you raise to your satisfaction, I think it does demonstrate that person for person, TC's spend equal amounts to all other types of visitors. Some a bit more, some a bit less. But, there is no category of visitor that drops significantly more than TC and that is per capita per day. And, as the average TC visitor stays longer than all other categories of visitors, TC brings the most significant portion of summer revenue.
id, you write:
“Surely if Triple Crown did not come and neither did anyone else, business would suffer. On the other hand, if Triple Crown did NOT come, would others come in their place and spend more per head?”
—Here's a significant point made to me by another reader in the know given his restaurant businesses here in Steamboat that comes at your question from the opposite direction. Recall, the summer of 2002, when we had significant fires around the state (I remember it well as one of the drainage fires near Stagecoach came so close we had ash in the neighborhood and my neighbor asked me on his way to work to just save his dog - let the house burn - but save the dog). Recall that the Gov. went on national TV and said the whole state was on fire. Those comments killed tourism in the mountain resort communities - even from in-state front range tourists. But, one resort town did better than most. Steamboat. Because Triple Crown still came.
You also write:
A true analysis requires more than a one-dimensional look at the issue. We still don't know if TC actually brings a benefit compared to families, seniors, couples and smaller groups that come to see the mountains instead of to play softball. That's all.
—That is exactly what the study I referenced in previous comments did. Again, it found that TC spends just as much person for person.
Given that, it is foolish to chase away 32,000 TC visitors. It's like the first rule of business and the one I operate under. It is easier to keep an existing customer than to go find a new one.
Hope that helps—
Rob
On Rob Douglas: Put an Emerald on this Crown
April 4, 2008 at 2:35 p.m.
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Mr. Kiely,
In spite of your inability to converse absent gutter language, I will briefly respond. But, given your incivility and foul mouth this will be the only response you will ever receive from me.
Much as you would like to fantasize, length of residence does not equate to ability to understand the history, facts, and options concerning the issue at hand. But, to demonstrate that your opinion is not as widely held by others, I've received numerous calls and personal emails today from long-time Routt County - in one instance multi-generation - residents. Interestingly, they agree with my position and were able to express themselves in language absent your vulgarity.
Yes—I believe the council can negotiate a contract with TC that limits the use of the park and enforces those limits. Should things turn out otherwise, and should TC violate the contractual terms in a significant fashion, I'll be happy to write about that as well.
Oh—by the way—if you think Little League is not big business in the United States, well, I have to question your judgment overall.
In closing Jack, you seem to have a real case of bitterness. Lighten up my friend. The world isn't ending. As we speak mature adults who can work through an issue absent your vindictive are attempting to find another way for TC to operate absent Emerald. Time will tell.
Oh—one last thing Jack. I've answered your questions for the first and last time—try the one in my last paragraph of the column. Which of your neighbors jobs should be lost if TC leaves? No need to respond here—just go knock on their door and tell them personally.
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On Rob Douglas: ‘We’re going to have to cut things’
October 10, 2008 at 5:42 a.m.
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The first paragraph of this column is missing. It should read:
“We’re gonna have to cut things that people like to have. There’s not a service we provide that some special interest or some group of citizens values more than anything else we do. It’s going to be very difficult.” – Interim City Manager Wendy DuBord.