Doug Hoffman's bail-out?
The Watertown Daily Times is running a story about Doug Hoffman's tenure as chief financial "controller" for the fabled 1980 Winter Olympics.
Those games are part of the North Country's cultural landscape, and the Conservative Party candidate from Lake Placid has made his role back in the 1970s and early '80s a big part of his campaign.
But according to Jude Seymour's piece:
Three months after the games closed, the agency was $6 million in debt — an amount the Plattsburgh Press Republican once called "an enormous sum in 1980 for a village with such modest resources." It owed an estimated 1,600 creditors.The state bailed out the project -- and continues to heavily subsidize Lake Placid's tourism and sports industries three decade's later.
That kind of taxpayer funded project (much of the funding for the Olympic venues has come in the form of earmarks) has been the target of Hoffman's most passionate rhetoric.
Here's what he told Seymour:
"I'm not ashamed of it," he said. "The return on investment that the taxpayers got on the federal and state level is at least 30 fold, when you include the income tax, sales tax and business tax that has been generated since this investment. It's been unmatched."
Labels: election09
posted by Brian Mann @ 9/07/2009 06:32:00 AM
7 Comments
7 Comments:
Doesn't that fit into your "armchair conservative" stuff? I mean his bailout was good but another bailout that he isn't involved with is bad? Everybody with an earmark or bailout can claim that exact point by Doug Hoffman, right?
The answer to Brian and the first comment is "No". Not all earmarks/bailouts are good or appropriate. ROI (return on investment) must be weighed in each case. In Lake Placid, every dime of state and federal money has converted into tremendous economic impact into the 4 counties served by ORDA. Specifically, upwards of nearly $300 million annually in that region, according to ORDA's annual report. The fact of the matter is this: without the legacy of the Olympics and ORDA, the Adirondack economy around Lake Placid would be limp, lame, lifeless. It would be just another mountain town frequented for 3 months a year by city-dwellers looking to escape the summer heat. And that means stores would be open less; hotels might be closed at certain times of the year; restaurants might only be open 5 days a week; convenience stores would close much earlier. This translates into less employment. The NY-23 debate seems to be morphing into pigeon-holing candidates into cutting ALL government spending. There are projects that are needed and appropos.
Let me get this straight: Hoffman ran the 1980 Olympics into the red... and then the state bailed it out and he speaks very proudly of how that was a good investment on the part of the state... but now he opposes that kind of stuff spending.
Candidates like Hoffman just spew anti government spending rhetoric without much thought. It's easy to say, after the fact, with it having proven a worthwhile investment, how well the state investment in Lake Placid after the Olympics paid off. But now?... only opposing all government spending... that's easy to say also. Isn't at least some of what is being proposed to stimulate the economy worthy of some consideration? Apparently not, according to Hoffman. Some of these political newcomers just say what voters want to hear and with no record of political fiscal realities under their belt (except, apparently, for running the 1980 Olympics into the red... only to have the state bail it out), there's nothing to call them on. Hoffman hasn't offered much so far - I'd like to see something specific from him regarding current economic issues and how he won't make the same mistakes, whatever they were in 1980, again. So far, I've only heard simplistic anti-spending rhetoric.
In all reality ORDA has continued to lose and waste state money. Study after Study shows that these venues are things people will do and visit while here. They are not the reason they travel here.
One thing I love about democracy -- and competitive elections -- is that they spark debate over unexpected things.
Doug Hoffman's philosophical attack on government spending raises legitimate questions about how successful the massive taxpayer investment in Lake Placid has been.
Mr. Hoffman asserts that there's been a great return on that investment. Others posting here dispute his claim.
We'll explore this more fully in the weeks ahead.
-Brian, NCPR
Further illustration of my claim that fake "third party" candidates (registered Republicans or Democrats that run on smaller party lines) get coverage denied to actual smaller party candidates. Just goes to show that we claim we want pols who are independent minded and not reflexively partisan but such candidates get ignored by the media.
I read this story with great interest because we need an adequate replacement for Cong. McHugh. But in reading this it appears that Doug Hoffman may only be slightly better than DeeDee Scozzafaza or Bill Owens.
We, here in the North Country have to pick the right person to represent us and hopefully help begin an end to Washington politics and ripoffs.
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