Rockford has come a long way since Money Magazine named it the worst city in America in which to live (the same year it rated Madison as #1). Now it has a hip new cache as a place of refuge for politicians on the lam. Their convention & visitors bureau put together this video, which puts a positive spin on the city's attractions (although Mrs. Rick Nielsen probably didn't appreciate the disparaging comments about her cooking).
The Daily Show sent John Oliver to Rockford for a bit that aired last night (it appears that no camels were harmed in the making of this video):
Showing posts with label tourism. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tourism. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Spending Smartly This Holiday Season
As the holiday shopping season gets into gear, remember that buying cheap goods made in China contributes to our trade imbalance, the "creative destruction" of American jobs, and global carbon emissions (both from coal-burning power plants in China and from the container ships transporting the raw materials and finished products across the ocean).
It's almost impossible to avoid buying products made wholly or partly overseas. However, if you are willing to make the effort to buy American where you can, this website is very useful. With so many of our friends and neighbors out of work, the holidays will be merrier if you support local businesses as much as possible. Buy books and DVDs from a bricks-and-mortar store rather than online (if you sign up for coupons, it can be just as cheap). Give gift certificates for services. Your grandmother doesn't need more perfume or dust-collecting knick-knacks, but she might enjoy a day of pampering at a salon or day-spa, or a dinner with the family at a nice restaurant. Studies have shown that people who spend their money on experiences rather than things tend to be happier.
Many of us make charitable contributions during the holiday season. There are a great many very worthy charities that do a lot of good with those contributions. There are also charities that spend more money on fundraising than they do on the programs that help those in need. The American Institute of Philanthropy does an excellent job of researching charities and helping donors get the most bang for their buck. Their website lists top-rated charities in a variety of categories. For a small donation, you can subscribe to their Charity Rating Guide, which gives more detailed information about how much various charities spend on fundraising and administration versus services.
Finally, if you are starting to make 2011 vacation plans, think seriously about visiting Las Vegas or New Orleans. Both are terrific cities for visitors, and both have been hit harder by the recession than many other places. Las Vegas was ground zero for the real estate bubble, and New Orleans' fishing and offshore drilling industries took a big hit after the Deepwater Horizon explosion, just as the area was beginning to bounce back after Katrina. Both places can be affordable vacation destinations if you avoid their peak tourist season and patronize the restaurants that target locals rather than tourists.
It's almost impossible to avoid buying products made wholly or partly overseas. However, if you are willing to make the effort to buy American where you can, this website is very useful. With so many of our friends and neighbors out of work, the holidays will be merrier if you support local businesses as much as possible. Buy books and DVDs from a bricks-and-mortar store rather than online (if you sign up for coupons, it can be just as cheap). Give gift certificates for services. Your grandmother doesn't need more perfume or dust-collecting knick-knacks, but she might enjoy a day of pampering at a salon or day-spa, or a dinner with the family at a nice restaurant. Studies have shown that people who spend their money on experiences rather than things tend to be happier.
Many of us make charitable contributions during the holiday season. There are a great many very worthy charities that do a lot of good with those contributions. There are also charities that spend more money on fundraising than they do on the programs that help those in need. The American Institute of Philanthropy does an excellent job of researching charities and helping donors get the most bang for their buck. Their website lists top-rated charities in a variety of categories. For a small donation, you can subscribe to their Charity Rating Guide, which gives more detailed information about how much various charities spend on fundraising and administration versus services.
Finally, if you are starting to make 2011 vacation plans, think seriously about visiting Las Vegas or New Orleans. Both are terrific cities for visitors, and both have been hit harder by the recession than many other places. Las Vegas was ground zero for the real estate bubble, and New Orleans' fishing and offshore drilling industries took a big hit after the Deepwater Horizon explosion, just as the area was beginning to bounce back after Katrina. Both places can be affordable vacation destinations if you avoid their peak tourist season and patronize the restaurants that target locals rather than tourists.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Will Hammes Sponsor the New Urbanism Convention?
Mayor Dave is seeking an opinion from the city Ethics Board regarding whether it is appropriate for him to send out letters soliciting sponsors for a possible convention of the Congress for the New Urbanism. Madison needs to raise about $280,000 toward convention costs if it wishes to host. City Attorney Mike May pointed out a potential pitfall of having elected officials raise money for outside organizations: "One concern is that business entities wishing to ingratiate themselves may be driven to make contributions."
Now might be a good time for Mayor Dave to call in a favor from the Hammes Co. After all, he's already done as much as he possibly could to aid their Edgewater development proposal, so no one can accuse him of granting favors in exchange for sponsorship of his pet cause.
Now might be a good time for Mayor Dave to call in a favor from the Hammes Co. After all, he's already done as much as he possibly could to aid their Edgewater development proposal, so no one can accuse him of granting favors in exchange for sponsorship of his pet cause.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Sheboygan Built It, But They Didn't Come
In 2004, Great Wolf Resorts opened the Blue Harbor Resort waterpark hotel in Sheboygan. The City of Sheboygan helped out with $10.2 million in infrastructure improvements, a $4 million loan to build the hotel and an additional investment of $8 million to build a city-owned conference center (managed by the hotel) next door.
Last year, Great Wolf took a $24 million write-down on Blue Harbor, valuing the hotel at $6 million. They also sued the city, arguing that their assessment was much too high and they had overpaid their property taxes for the past few years. They reached a settlement, and the City of Sheboygan will refund almost $263,000 in property taxes. The settlement money will come from the TIF district that includes Blue Harbor.
Meanwhile, Great Wolf is trying to sell the Blue Harbor Resort.
The moral of the story is that cities should be very careful about investing millions of dollars in hotel projects in the name of economic development and tourism. Taxpayers should not finance real estate speculation.
Last year, Great Wolf took a $24 million write-down on Blue Harbor, valuing the hotel at $6 million. They also sued the city, arguing that their assessment was much too high and they had overpaid their property taxes for the past few years. They reached a settlement, and the City of Sheboygan will refund almost $263,000 in property taxes. The settlement money will come from the TIF district that includes Blue Harbor.
Meanwhile, Great Wolf is trying to sell the Blue Harbor Resort.
The moral of the story is that cities should be very careful about investing millions of dollars in hotel projects in the name of economic development and tourism. Taxpayers should not finance real estate speculation.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
An Alternative to Security Theater
Ever since Sept. 11 changed everything, airports around the world have introduced escalating inconveniences for air travelers. The Recess Supervisor had a good post on the subject last month.
Frequent travelers have coined the term "Security Theater" for the measures that are imposed on the public mainly to convince them something is being done. The ban on liquids was put in place in response to a specific plot to mix liquid explosives from components hidden in toiletry bottles. The outrage from flyers who demanded the right to pack toothpaste and shampoo in their carry-on bag led to the allowance for liquids in three-ounce, clear plastic bottles in a quart-sized zip-loc bag. The allowance makes the restriction utterly useless in preventing terrorists from smuggling liquid explosive components on board. So why are we being inconvenienced? To convince us that the TSA (and its counterparts around the world) can protect us from terrorists, so we'll be willing to travel by air.
In reality, the terrorist plots on airplanes since 9/11 have been foiled either by old-school procedures that were already in place, the sheer incompetence of the would-be terrorists, or quick thinking (and tackling) by flight attendants and fellow passengers.
If we really want to make people safer on planes, we should spend as much time giving them tips to spot and stop a terrorist as we do showing them how to use the oxygen masks and flotation devices on the plane. That emergency card tucked into the back of every seat should also include a list of suspicious behaviors and appropriate responses (grab the offender's hands and yell "Hey, what are you doing? Help!" to alert flight attendants and your fellow passengers to help you subdue someone who is trying to blow up the plane). The flight attendants can pantomime how to place a suspected terrorist in a bear-hug, right after they show us how to put on our life preserver in the event of a water landing.
This will be at least as helpful as restricting us to tiny bottles of shampoo. It has the added benefit of making the public feel empowered (and therefore, less easy to terrorize).
Frequent travelers have coined the term "Security Theater" for the measures that are imposed on the public mainly to convince them something is being done. The ban on liquids was put in place in response to a specific plot to mix liquid explosives from components hidden in toiletry bottles. The outrage from flyers who demanded the right to pack toothpaste and shampoo in their carry-on bag led to the allowance for liquids in three-ounce, clear plastic bottles in a quart-sized zip-loc bag. The allowance makes the restriction utterly useless in preventing terrorists from smuggling liquid explosive components on board. So why are we being inconvenienced? To convince us that the TSA (and its counterparts around the world) can protect us from terrorists, so we'll be willing to travel by air.
In reality, the terrorist plots on airplanes since 9/11 have been foiled either by old-school procedures that were already in place, the sheer incompetence of the would-be terrorists, or quick thinking (and tackling) by flight attendants and fellow passengers.
If we really want to make people safer on planes, we should spend as much time giving them tips to spot and stop a terrorist as we do showing them how to use the oxygen masks and flotation devices on the plane. That emergency card tucked into the back of every seat should also include a list of suspicious behaviors and appropriate responses (grab the offender's hands and yell "Hey, what are you doing? Help!" to alert flight attendants and your fellow passengers to help you subdue someone who is trying to blow up the plane). The flight attendants can pantomime how to place a suspected terrorist in a bear-hug, right after they show us how to put on our life preserver in the event of a water landing.
This will be at least as helpful as restricting us to tiny bottles of shampoo. It has the added benefit of making the public feel empowered (and therefore, less easy to terrorize).
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Money Down the Drain
The Wisconsin Department of Transportation is so proud of their new $22 million rest room project near Portage. They got the feds to pay for 90% of it, so I guess it can be considered a stimulus project, kind of like the old CCC facilities built during the Depression.
I had the privilege of using this fancy new facility during my Thanksgiving travels. The ceilings are very high, which means it is probably expensive to heat. The ladies' room felt noticeably chilly. The automatic toilet flushed three times while I was sitting on it. It flushed twice more while I was pulling up and fastening my jeans. I wonder how much more water this facility will waste compared to the old one.
I had the privilege of using this fancy new facility during my Thanksgiving travels. The ceilings are very high, which means it is probably expensive to heat. The ladies' room felt noticeably chilly. The automatic toilet flushed three times while I was sitting on it. It flushed twice more while I was pulling up and fastening my jeans. I wonder how much more water this facility will waste compared to the old one.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
