ORDA Board Meetings

[tirolski]

The Power Broker about Robert Moses and how he came up with the concept, and most importantly, why he did it.

He got 1 and a 1/2 dams in NY named after him, so he got that goin for him.

 

[x10003q]

And have you done the research to supprt yoiur claim that 94% of borrowing was not approved by voters?

mm

Here is a list of authority Bond Offerings for Mar, 2021 - May, 2021. It adds up to $3.3 billion in total including $908 million of new borrowing.
Show me where this was on any ballot in NYS. I will save you the time - you can't.

https://www.osc.state.ny.us/files/debt/pdf/debt-scc-calendar.pdf

 

[tirolski]

...Authorities are a SCAM!!! Read the book The Power Broker about Robert Moses and how he came up with the concept, and most importantly, why he did it.

Have yet to read the book. It’s a long one. Old Bobby Moses appeared to be pissed enough to write a rebuttal and then the author came back with his response. Seems there’s always been folks seeing things differently.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/317570292_We_Live_in_a_Motorized_Civilization_Robert_Moses_Replies_to_Robert_Caro

 

[Campgottagopee]

It's fashionable to complain about government all the time, but there is no way COVID vaccines would be available in a year if someone wasn't guaranteeing the cost of development, and government is the only institution large enough to do that.

mm

Fashionable? More like reasonable. I've found most who work for the government have zero clue how the real world works.

 

[Face4Me]

I've found most who work for the government have zero clue how the real world works.

While this may be true in many cases, my perception is that there's more to it than that. I think there are a lot of good people who work government jobs, but after a while, they begin to recognize that there's no real incentive to excel at what they do. For a lot of government workers, their compensation is "regulated". They can't earn performance bonuses, commissions, or get pay raises for outstanding work. There may be some opportunity for promotion, but from what I've seen, those opportunities are somewhat limited.

In the private business world, I think especially in smaller companies as opposed to large corporations, excellent work is usually directly rewarded through pay raises, bonuses, etc. As an employee, you have an incentive to be excellent at everything you do, because your effort will be recognized and rewarded. If not, anyone with any sense is going to move on to another job.

For government workers, I think there's the feeling of "I'm just going to ride it out to get my 'X' number of years in so that I get my pension". They get stuck in a rut, and for many of them, they're miserable doing what they do, but they just don't see any way out.

Like most things ... It's complicated, and most of us don't take the time to try to look at it from all angles.

I know I've posted a lot of critical comments about Whiteface this year. I've done that because I really believe they can do SO MUCH better. A lot of that is just a difference of opinion on what matters most. ORDA management decided several years ago that the facilities were the priority and that they needed to improve the facilities in order to attract more customers. While I don't disagree that the facilities needed to be addressed, to me, the more important thing is the "product". In the case of the ski areas, if the skiing (the product) is fantastic, people are going to overlook the facility issues. I just think they should have prioritized making sure that the lifts are all in good working condition and building a world-class snow-making system. Once that was done, then work on the facilities. Maybe they had market research that said otherwise.

 

[Campgottagopee]

While this may be true in many cases, my perception is that there's more to it than that. I think there are a lot of good people who work government jobs, but after a while, they begin to recognize that there's no real incentive to excel at what they do. For a lot of government workers, their compensation is "regulated". They can't earn performance bonuses, commissions, or get pay raises for outstanding work. There may be some opportunity for promotion, but from what I've seen, those opportunities are somewhat limited.

In the private business world, I think especially in smaller companies as opposed to large corporations, excellent work is usually directly rewarded through pay raises, bonuses, etc. As an employee, you have an incentive to be excellent at everything you do, because your effort will be recognized and rewarded. If not, anyone with any sense is going to move on to another job.

For government workers, I think there's the feeling of "I'm just going to ride it out to get my 'X' number of years in so that I get my pension". They get stuck in a rut, and for many of them, they're miserable doing what they do, but they just don't see any way out.

Like most things ... It's complicated, and most of us don't take the time to try to look at it from all angles.

I know I've posted a lot of critical comments about Whiteface this year. I've done that because I really believe they can do SO MUCH better. A lot of that is just a difference of opinion on what matters most. ORDA management decided several years ago that the facilities were the priority and that they needed to improve the facilities in order to attract more customers. While I don't disagree that the facilities needed to be addressed, to me, the more important thing is the "product". In the case of the ski areas, if the skiing (the product) is fantastic, people are going to overlook the facility issues. I just think they should have prioritized making sure that the lifts are all in good working condition and building a world-class snow-making system. Once that was done, then work on the facilities. Maybe they had market research that said otherwise.

I agree with you. I've also known many a government worker who has gotten out, simply because they can't take being held back, or the BS that's needed to be dealt with for years and years until they can get out.

My comment was more directed to a retired government worker defending government workers --- LOL

 

[Peter Minde]

I'm just gonna go in a different direction for a moment. Guy comes into the winer shop where I now work wearing a Lake Placid hat. We chat, he likes to ski. His recently graduated son landed a job at ORDA, and his impression is that the sky is the limit, they encourage new ideas and ambition.

 

[D.B. Cooper]

but after a while, they begin to recognize that there's no real incentive to excel at what they do. They can't earn performance bonuses, commissions, or get pay raises for outstanding work.

In the private business world, I think especially in smaller companies as opposed to large corporations, excellent work is usually directly rewarded through pay raises, bonuses, etc. As an employee, you have an incentive to be excellent at everything you do, because your effort will be recognized and rewarded. If not, anyone with any sense is going to move on to another job.

The flip side, too, is that if you don't perform you get sacked. Like it or not, fear is a great motivator.

A big problem with government is that they never have to worry about the money coming in. It's a tabletop - flat and continuous. The private sector is a teeter totter with the money coming in and going out. And that teeter totter can change....quickly.

 

[Campgottagopee]

I'm just gonna go in a different direction for a moment. Guy comes into the winer shop where I now work wearing a Lake Placid hat. We chat, he likes to ski. His recently graduated son landed a job at ORDA, and his impression is that the sky is the limit, they encourage new ideas and ambition.

I hope he continues to have that same motivation and he doesn't let "them" beat him down. My experience is the really good ones get out. It seems like those who do move up will eventually run into a roadblock, or someone who shouldn't be there and the only reason they are is because of politics.

 

[Peter Minde]

I hope he continues to have that same motivation and he doesn't let "them" beat him down. My experience is the really good ones get out. It seems like those who do move up will eventually run into a roadblock, or someone who shouldn't be there and the only reason they are is because of politics.

Hey... mea culpa, I've done my share of complaining about ORDA. But I thought this was a positive note. Obviously I'm pleased with the improvements at Mt van Ho... now if only they can get some of the 1980 memorabilia into the new lodge.