3 Colorado ski resorts bracing for layoffs

DENVER

Ski resort workers at three Colorado mountains are bracing for layoffs as a Canadian resort operator says the poor economy will force job cuts.

Intrawest Corp. this week did not say exactly how many jobs will go at its three owned or operated Colorado resorts -- Copper Mountain, Steamboat Ski & Resort and Winter Park. But the Vancouver-based resort operator says the drop in business at its resorts is unlike anything it has experienced in recent years.

The company employs 22,000 workers during the peak winter season in Canada and the United States.

Intrawest also operates Canada's Whistler-Blackcomb ski resort, a major venue for the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games.

Awrighty then. I heard this report on the radio today and had to rush home and see if my old home town, Telluride, was among the towns feeling the pinch. But as the above quoted article points out, they've dodged the bullet for now although  The Telluride Daily Planet  reported last week that the resort will be raising the price of its daily lift tickets to $92 this season.

$92.00! For a day of skiing. Holy Mother of all that's Holy! And that doesn't even cover lunch at the lodge, a little apre' ski vino, breakfast, dinner, a place to sleep, airfare to get there - not to mention skis, boots, gloves, goggles, poles, fuzzy hat, latest trendy outfit, etc. That's just $92 to stand in line for 4 hours, ride lifts for another 2 hours and if you're lucky, get in an hours worth of quality board time. But that's not my point. 

Here's my point - who is traveling to Colorado (or anywhere for that matter) to pay these kind of prices for a day in the snow? 

Is it poor people? Ahhhhh, NO. 

Is it middle income working class people? Ahhhhh, not many. 

Is it rich people?* Yes indeedy it is, or at least it was. 

Sorry, what was that? Rich people? Rich people are feeling the effects of the ecomony? Rich people are concerned about the impact of Obama reducing capitol gains? Rich people are worried their investments are declining in value, home values are in the tank and stocks are in the swirly? 

It would appear so. 

So the rich are feeling the pinch and they're cutting back on that mid-winter ski trip to Colorado. 

Does that mean the rich are hurting? No, it just means they're watching where their discretionary income is spent and that doesn't include a trip to Steamboat this year. Or instead of going twice, they're only going once - whatever.

So who's getting hurt. 

Rich people? Naw, they're just cutting back, remember. 

Poor people and working class people? Ah, there's the rub. 

They're the ones getting laid off because the rich people aren't showing up in adequate numbers to support their jobs.  So now they'll go on unemployment (to share that wealth) and access the social services of Copper Mountain. Maybe they'll even lose their homes to foreclosure. Of course with visitors down, revenues are down, hotel guest taxes are down & meal receipts are down so there's less taxes coming in to the city coffers - yet they are faced with growing unemployment. Bad luck for the cities too I guess.  

WHY? Because the rich are getting pinched but the poor suffer for it. And Obama wants to pinch the rich even more. Yeah, that makes sense now. I can see how that would bail us out. I'm sure glad 52% of the electorate is mathematically challenged. Probably a lot of the working class people making ends meet working the ski lifts voted for Obama. As Bill Engvahl might say - Here's yer sign. 

Well, that's just my opinion. I could be wrong.  

* For the purposes of future revenue enhancement strategies central to Democratic Principles (I.E. taxes), Rich People are defined as those making in excess of $250,000, $200,000, $150,000, $72,500, $48,200 - ah hell, if you gotta job, you're rich. Send in your paycheck, sucka.

Remember, Don't wait to buy real estate - Buy real estate and wait.