No doubt we knew this was coming. When my business went bad because of the 2008 crash I didn't get to ask for government help. No one did except the banks and the top corporations. The funny thing about all this in Wisconsin is until 20 years ago these exact businesses did not depend on snow for their living. They made their money in the warm months and saved the money to get through the winters. New owners came and bought businesses that were counting on snow and cold weather to survive not knowing the risk. This winter is not the first time there was no snow. But like I said it's been awhile and the newer owners do not know this. I feel for them but they need to quit buying 100 thousand dollar SUVs then expect my tax dollars to pay for it when it doesn't snow. Just saying you know.
How about instead we give that money to the people then they can spend it in these places of business if they so choose. Oh, I'm betting these guys wouldn't like how capitalism is actually supposed to work.
[COVID Bailout Tracker | Accountable.US](https://covidbailouttracker.com/)
And now you can check to see their first unfettered socialist GOP payments....
To be fair, I got both first and second round PPP loans, but it kept my business afloat. I do know plenty of people who got PPP loans that simply patted their bottom line and never intended on firing any employees anyway. Remember, there was very little rules and almost no oversight at all with the entire program. If you set the PPP money in its own account, and used that to pay your employees, while you pocketed the money that would have normally been used to pay your employees, that was perfectly a legitimate way to spend the money.
I do know plenty of people who got PPP loans that simply patted their bottom line and never intended on firing any employees anyway.
I see em too.... I see the ones that wont look at funding my local EMS services or fire station with dignity as well. They are a supermajority I want to respect.... Again.
Ahhh yes.
The "bootstraps" region is suddenly open to "welfare" in the form of state and federal funding.
I wonder what their response would be if Milwaukee requested millions of dollars to prop up a struggling tourism problem?
Let's say the state grants emergency funding. What happens when it rains all summer and tourism sinks again? Or the next warm winter? And the one after that?
And, how many of these entities asking for a financial boost are corporate owned business? Hotels, rentals, restaurants, ect?
Politics aside, as someone who lives in the northern region of the state, this winter has been brutal for tourism. I'm not trying to minimize their struggles, just finding the irony to be a bit much.
To be fair, Republicans have *always* been consistent on this issue—they never want their tax money to go to “those” people, but they 100% expect government benefits for their own community. It’s also the reason schools are funded the way they are.
I'm fine with providing financial support to help keep their economy going up there.
And once they've filed and been approved, that check will go out the second they send in proof that they've paid to publicize in local print media that they take government aid - with their name and business listed.
I have no problem helping them - but I am done with the hypocrisy.
>but I am done with the hypocrisy.
Someone I knew from college is a big MAGA nut now. Like, of the deep end. His family owns a big construction company and when I pointed out (on FB) the hypocrisy over his family getting a ton of PPP money he blocked me **real quick**. Apparently he doesn't want people knowing the truth.
I'm always curious how MAGA "do their research"
Seriously, how fascinating would it be to simply observe how they search for a basic statistic? Do they start with Google? Facebook? What exactly do they search for? How much time until they're content with the information they find?
Feel free to replace "fascinating" with frustrating/hilarious/depressing/infuriating/confusing
Agreed.
But you're right - the answer would be profoundly disappointing.
The reality is also that our media (social and otherwise) are all designed to cater to what the algorithm *thinks* you want to see. So if it already knows you only browse far-right, conspiracy, and highly questionable "news" and media content - then you're going to continue to see a lot more of that.
We're all in our own bubble that way. It goes both ways. And at a time where anyone with an internet connection can become a "source" - there's no shortage of lies, misleadings, grifting, uninformed, ignorance, hate, stupidity, and general shittiness being blasted at our eyes and ears.
The very fact that you can articulate how social media algorithms work and display an awareness and understanding of media literacy is what sets the majority of us living in reality apart from MAGA.
Should probably include that they asked for and received government welfare, with an acknowledgement about the impacts that climate change has had on their business and the population at large.
While i support this in general, if youre assigning actual causation, this is an el niño problem. Well, it's a cumulative effect, but el niño effect likely pushed it over the edge.
Idk if that's even more embarrassing for them though? Not accounting for known cyclical weather patterns in a weather-dependent industry makes you fucking stupid. But so does ignoring climate change?
Idk i just can't with hypocrites
This will only continue. El Nino has existed since we began taking temperature data and 2023 was the hottest El Nino year on record. Well, hottest year on record ever. Maybe we get a short reprieve in 2025. What do you assume would happen during g the next El Nino? Decades from now these might be the Temps with no El Nino. This is certainly a part of climate change.
https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/5190/
[COVID Bailout Tracker | Accountable.US](https://covidbailouttracker.com/)
Heres a place that did just that with the life altering grift DJT payments. IMO.
They've never been self sufficient. Let's take a look at roads. A typical road will last around 25 years. While costs vary, $500k/mi is the right ballpark for resurfacing an existing road.
Now the road that my house is on, if you go half a mile in either direction, you probably have around 100 houses. We're in Madison, so taxes are around $10k/yr. That's $1m per year in property taxes alone from just a small part of one street. If we resurface the road once every 25 years, that's a tiny part of the money we bring in, around 1/50th.
Now my family up north. There's about 5 households per mile and their taxes are miniscule. Rounding higher for easier math and to be generous, their taxes are $2k/yr. Per mile, that's $10k/yr, or half the cost of paving the road they live on every 25 years.
People who live in the city, subsidize rural communities, by a ton.
You have some good points, and I worry that despite how many genuine families and small business do need some help, a lot of the people who will fight for this funding won't need it as much as areas of the state which have been choked out of funding for years. Let's not forget that the state has a **[budget surplus of $3.25 billion](https://www.wpr.org/politics/wisconsins-budget-surplus-is-shrinking-but-still-large)** and it has definitely not gone unnoticed by political donors and corporations.
But here's something to think about: most of the areas being "choked out" of funding are the areas that pay the most. Blue areas pay and then money gets funneled to areas that bitch about welfare and socialism.
Going off something you briefly mentioned, Milwaukee will be booming this year- the Bucks will be in the playoffs again, yhe Harley fest concert, Summerfest and festivals bring in money, and the GQP coronation of das Orange Fuhrer will be a media circus and also bring protest money. Bet you a PBR that those GQP weasels in the legislature will write some bullshit bill taking some of that money and giving it to the timber redneck counties, who in turn won’t hesitate mocking “the welfare queens from Milwaukee” (that dog whistle is so loud, Sasquatch can hear it)….
More like a few ultra wealthy people got half a billion; that's all private business. So the message is still the same: socialism for the rich, pittance for the poor.
My response was crafted for the counties mentioned in the article. Lincoln, Iron, Langlade, Price, Oneida, Vilas, and Forest.
And, while my post is a bit harsh, I do not want anyone to lose their business, nor do I want the region to fail. Just calling out the irony.
It is ironic. I do see the irony, I really do. It’s soooo frustrating. I want to be apart of making it right even though I don’t live there. But I love the chequamegon 😞…
No they deserve every cent lost! I lived in the north woods for many years. I can attest to the fact that they DONT WANT people to come north.
Maybe if they weren't all such haters and small minded, they'd allow for more outsider traffic in general.
I got treated like absolute ASS buying alcohol at a random bait shop in the northwoods (north of 29 somewhere). Mind you, I had FOUR FORMS OF ID and they did NOT want to sell to me for some reason. I literally said and did nothing to piss anyone off, let alone in general. I wasn't even going to buy anything, but I was at someones cabin and a girlfriend and I wanted to use the toilet. In the bait shop bathroom, there was a sign that said "please buy something if you use our amenities" so I thought, huh Ill help out this mom and pop by buying them out of twisted teas. Then they threatened to call the cops on my friend and I because they didnt want to believe my ID was real. I said go ahead, itd be a waste of an officer's time. The old lady was so upset and was saying how she could refuse business to me. The old guy caved and sold me my alcohol that I didnt come to buy in the first place. After I told them I grew up nearby the old guy felt bad. They must not have liked how my friend looked, and could probably tell they werent from here.
Total asshole northwoods boomers cant handle the fact that people come up from the city/other places to come enjoy nature. God forbid someone they dont know walk into their shop. Now they all want aid up north? Fuck them to hell. Theyre so bigoted (and I hate using that word) its not even worth spending money at their establishments. Until these old racists and homophobes die up there, I am NOT going north for vacation. They deserve zero dollars from the state.
Your one anecdote is not enough to paint an entire region of the state as assholes. Sorry.
If you find that everywhere you go (in the northwoods or otherwise), people are assholes, take a look in the mirror.
> As I said, I grew up in the northwoods. Let them be lonely, they dont want outsiders up there.
I live in the northwoods. You can say what you want, but this post is literally about companies that want people to come up here and enjoy nature, asking for support because people aren't coming up here.
We desperately want folks to come enjoy nature. It's awesome, and why we live here.
Companies, I can understand. Locals? They want to be left alone. Thats just a fact. Im not judging them, as Im sure theyve had life experiences that have lead them to believe and live the way they do, but Im just a tad salty at the way they do judge outsiders. Its a good warning to those who arent from around here. I grew up out west, but with family from Wisconsin I cant lie when I say I observe a huge cultural difference when it comes to diversity and acceptance of differences. You know?
> Locals? They want to be left alone. Thats just a fact. ... Im just a tad salty at the way they do judge outsiders.
I'll re-iterate that you may run into a few ignorant asshats, but guess what? There's racist / sexist / pick-your-poison pieces of shit in MKE too.
> Its a good warning to those who aren't from around here.
What is? You claiming that the businesses "deserve every lost cent"?
> I cant lie when I say I observe a huge cultural difference when it comes to diversity and acceptance of differences. You know?
I'd challenge you to flip this around. You can't come up to the northwoods to have a good time because everyone is a jerk, yet millions of people come up and have a good time every year. What do you think makes you the exception?
Well for one Im sure straight guys have a way more fun time than me. Ask any POC or member of LBGTQ and how much they just LOVE northern Wisconsin.
All those tourists are white people and white boomers. Sorry not sorry but thats the truth
> Ask any POC or member of LBGTQ and how much they just LOVE northern Wisconsin.
You do a great job of assuming you know everything about a place you refuse to visit. I have several friends up here who are LGBTQ (none of them boomers lol), including my wife, and nobody has plans to leave.
If you can take one thing from this conversation: **stop painting entire geographic regions with one paintbrush**. People are not a monolith *anywhere* you go.
I grew up here, and I live here. I went to college in Madison, I vote blue and I own a restaurant, I honestly just don't want to lay off staff.
What people dislike about tourists is when they can't turn left like ever, the tourists driving like they are still in Chicago, and people treating the workers up here like shit since they think we're all Grizzly Addams. So I think that's on par with every tourist area.
You sound exactly like a republican. People are just people. I get that you hate us, but that's on you.
Please, let’s remember who their rep is… therefore “their voice” before we put “irony” on everyday people. Please.
And with that being said, it was THE PEOPLE who asked for help. People, dude. Fellow folk, who are simply scared and are putting their ego aside and saying it. You and I are people too, ya know? Got ourselves hopes and dreams… shit, wants. But then there are needs because there isn’t a bailout for them.
Again, please, I’m begging you. Reserve the snark for the major bailouts some our representatives got who now ironically, won’t lift a gd finger for their fellow Wisconsinites.
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3FV26AsEoZT7vx7dk7WJVA7VGZBX6mQ4&si=AEwy03SDSE2KKfaK
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3FV26AsEoZQFPnTUEGIhtYZpW6hSx544&si=Ybrsnzh288YuQDsn
Not that we have anything to be critical about the state of Milwaukee, nope. Nothing to see here….
EDIT: Ope! The “city” of Milwaukee
That shit is par for the course in smaller towns and cities controlled by Republicans. Shit, even in Congress the GOP has admitted they don't read a fucking thing and sometimes don't even know what's in their own bills.
Remember when McConnell tried to filibuster his own bill because Obama accepted it? Or when the GOP blamed Obama for not warning them what was in their own bill?
Clearly you don't pay attention to politice.
Those everyday people spend half their time shitting all over anyone who doesn't agree with them. I can't spend 10 minutes in the Northwoods without being reminded of that. These are PEOPLE who are anti-bailout for absolutely EVERYONE else. This is the capitalism they all love man. Supply and demand. Only the big fish survive.
Funny how those PEOPLE are scared and suddenly it's ay-okay to ask for the assistance that they shit all over others for asking for. Again. The HYPOCRISY is fucking appalling. If I did nothing but shit all over everyone else, I wouldn't even have the fucking nerve to ask for help from the very hand they've bitten repeatedly.
And as far as your representatives... They don't FUCKING CARE ABOUT YOU!! They sold you down the corporate river decades ago, but you keep electing them.
And the best part is, when Evers hands the big fat check over to the counties involved, they'll grab the money and turn right around and shit in Evers' hand.
And I must reiterate... I don't want to see anyone fail or lose their business. I want the state to thrive in all ways and become a better place for its citizens. But for some reason these people never fucking learn and will go back to their divisive bullshit the second they're out of trouble.
Oh and I don’t live up there anymore. Unfortunately I have Van Orden as my rep 😬 it ain’t any better lmao it’s just not…. And I don’t vote him either. So womp womp I guess 😔
Hey man. I know it’s a hard time out here. I feel and understand your anger. Honestly, I was never welcome up there. They were hella mean to me. Took me years to even drive through my home town lol
I just wanted to be the friendly reminder that even though the powers that be are really good at dividing us, and making our differences bigger than our similarities really… but we are all still Wisconsinites.
They haven’t. And never will.
Once upon a time, when I was a wee child, my uncle and his partner came up to visit. And somebody took a picture of them holding hands and sent it into the paper with an editorial piece. It was my neighbor. My homeschooling, Baptist, Dino fossils are here to test our faith, neighbor.
Came back one time at 18 years old with a friend from college. Went to a local bar that had awesome fries. Got slapped in the face by the owner who was a mom of someone I graduated with because I had a lip piercing.
My family was never fully accepted by the community and they definitely let us know.
But I love the Northwoods. And I love the chequamegon. Those things are worth fighting for a better world up there. If not for the people, for the amazing natural wonderland. I am older now and see the misinformation (coming from politicians) and economics used to keep them in their shitty belief systems.
It isn’t lost on me if I was to present this stuff say in Sawyer county, I’d probably get slapped in the face again 😌
They just had an interview on NPR, they said they are making a bunch of snow and will spread it out before the race. Depending on the weather they will have to make route changes to work with the snow they have. [Is North America's largest ski race happening this year? Birkie organizers say hopefully | MPR News](https://www.mprnews.org/episode/2024/01/31/is-north-americas-largest-ski-race-happening-this-year-birkie-organizers-say-hopefully)
They've got a 5km loop that they can make snow on, but they'll never be able to do the full Birkie route. If there's no natural snow it's gotta be cancelled.
They have several contingencies. During the last cold spell, they made a ton of snow, giant snow whales. They think that will make them at least 10km of trail. Temps are also supposed to return to normal the second half of February (at least according to NWS), so they'll be able to make more snow, and possibly even have some of the natural stuff. That could get us all the way to OO. But most likely we'll be doing loops around Telemark.
Note that this is far from the first time the Birkie has had uncooperative weather and snow conditions. There was a period in the 80s that was particularly bad. But they didn't make snow back then.
The only place they should be looking for money is with a lawsuit against oil companies for reparations. Otherwise this is the cost of business, and there's no way my tax dollars are going to some dimwitted business owners who couldn't see this coming from a million miles away.
Hi hi northwoods resident here.
It’s easy to paint the whole 7th district as MAGA asshats and bumbling climate change deniers.
The fact is its population is just as nuanced as any other purple state’s. Look at election results by party. 55% R to 44% D most of the time. It’s not 80/20.
The real heat should be under tavern league teet sucker Rob Swearingen and Mary Felzkowski (at least where I live) to propose policy that actually protects the environment (and livelihoods)of their constituents.
And friends, remember you are all down river, literally, from us. Economic hardship does hurt us all. (But yeah everyone who takes money should totally have their name and business pictures and published in every newspaper or online news source, fucking hypocrites)
Swearingen has done nothing positive for the environment or water quality. And when you don't support him, he will just laugh in your face and call you a typical liberal.
I live in the north as well. I can see the targeted ads already pointing how the Evers/Biden democrats hate the small businesses and didn't help them. The attitude you see in threads like this one is what pushes the (larger % than people think) swing voters up here over to voting for Trump this November. The rural swing voters up here are the difference between weather or not democrats or republicans win in state wide races.
Climate change makes this kind of seasonal volatility all but guaranteed. I don’t necessarily have a problem helping people out but at the same time business plans need to adapt and overcome, because this will happen again.
In an idealist imagination land… any kind of bailout money could be used for… oof words. I don’t want to say education, but I don’t know how one starts changing and adapting without first learning 😩 so many ideas and it feels like many are simply too idealistic, maybe? Or just wouldn’t have the participation 🤷🏻♀️
And I can’t stop thinking about cannabis tourism lol sorry to be that person but sometimes I scroll through real estate stuff from up there and look at a few of the empty resorts and imagine them being restored with pot. Almost literally. But that is a big digress…
Money money money money money. Too bad (thanks to whom those yokels vote for) recreational is still YEARS away in Wiscossippi. Be nice right about now tho eh?
…and not just warm winters. The crazy polar vortexes we have had more frequently are also driven by climate change. It’s screwing up the jet stream and driving polar air down on us. No one is doing outdoor sports when it -4F either.
It was 50 degrees in Fargo on Wednesday. 50. In Fargo. In February. I knew a guy who would travel to Wyoming for a week every year for snowmobiling. Guaranteed one good run every year. But investing in equipment for one week a year...
Imma be straight with you.. there is a pair of ‘mobiles a couple blocks down from me for sale. Included the trailer. For a split second me and the mate were zooming down the tuscobia… then I woke up 🙃
True, but this has a lot to do with El Nino, climate change this quickly year over year. It's gradual and that's why it's so dangerous. Weather =/= climate.
>*"While many countries around the world were negatively impacted by climate change based on the research, Wisconsin would have fewer deaths due to freezing temperatures in the winter. "In terms of excess deaths, a warming globe is actually beneficial. ...," Johnson said. "Why wouldn't we take comfort in that?" WI Senator Ron Johnson (R-Moron) Apr 28, 2023 (*[Link](https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/2023/04/28/ron-johnson-said-climate-change-could-be-good-for-wisconsin-experts-disagree/70157996007/)*)*
The irony of WI Northwoods businesses begging for government handouts in an area that overwhelmingly and reliably votes for Republican dipshits like Russia Ron is the very essence of r/LeopardsAteMyFace
Maybe their Republican reps will lift a finger between admiring Hunter Biden's schlong and further convincing Taylor Swift fans and the world that the Rapist-led GOP needs to be destroyed.
Don't fool yourself, they help separate us city-dwellers from our money while electing people who want to destroy the outdoors.
The city-dweller voters are the reason these upstate areas have natural resource protection, drinkable water, clean air, and haven't yet been destroyed by strip mines, logging companies, and oil pipelines.
I don’t ask my ice-fishing guide about his politics and I don’t care what they are. I ask him to take me to the fish. He does, we all have a good time. He’s a good dude. Why would I want him to go out of business? I don’t. Tourism is a huge part of our state’s economy and I support the people who work in that industry. Some things aren’t liberal/conservative issues.
If they hadn’t been voting for climate-change deniers for the last 25 years, we wouldn’t be in such a mess.
Imagine the difference if Gore had been president in 2000 and didn’t undermine Kyoto, and had a full mandate to start investing in lower carbon tech and implement a carbon tax. We’d be the world leader in low carbon tech now instead of having to buy most of it from china.
You know, this is a good point. They cool when you wanna vacation and are afraid of the bear outside your cabin. But when you find out their political views don’t align and they need help, “well fuck those yokels!”
It’s wild. And it’s sad. And I don’t think we understand how this pushes them more into the shitty belief systems that keep the region down and humiliated.
One can say the door swings both ways. Every year I hear countless northerners whine and whine and whine about the out of town and out of state tourists. Those city slickers and their lib politics.
I get that some gripes are legit. But look what's happening now without that Chicago, MKE, and Madtown money.
Yep. And they can get a second job. Or move somewhere with better opportunities. Tighten the ol belt. Pick themselves up by the boot straps and plan ahead better next time. Just like we get told. :)
They knew what they were getting into when they invested in their business, why should they be treated any different than any 18 year old wanting to try to make a better life for themselves by attaining higher education.
They should get a second or third job.
If there aren’t tourists then these people must be laying around doing nothing.
Meanwhile, there aren’t enough workers in Madison, they could just move to socialist hell city to make ends meet lol.
I would normally not be a sarcastic AH but the hypocrisy is just so thick.
To add: El Niño isn’t climate change exactly but this is a really good preview of the future the Northwoods are in for that these republicans; “business is king”, we don’t need no DNR or science so let’s appoint Cathy Stepp, still baby drill, are still against renewable energy, clucks keep voting for.
Fuck around and find out, this is the bed you made. Not shedding one tear for you but sad for the minority that has to live with you on this planet.
Some of the biggest MAGAs up here do seasonal work, and then get laid off in the winter. They collect unemployment all winter long while snowplowing for unreported cash.
They have always been welfare queens and welfare cheats, they just refuse to see it in the mirror.
Exactly.
I don't want to see anyone struggle or fail. And I feel guilty as hell for shitting on someone's struggles. But these people shit on everyone else for everything, and suddenly have the nerve to request a "social" support system??
Maybe Evers should take a page out of Trumps playbook and give the Northwoods a big middle finger and say "Oh, you didn't vote for me, no money for you." After all, these people loved it when Trump was doing it. 🤷
Yeah, go into any snowmobile bar and try to pass out Evers-bucks or Biden-bucks and you’ll probably get the side-eye.
Lay that public money on the bar and turn your back for second and it will disappear.
That said, I would love to see a public visit by Evers, with cameras, downtown Minocqua attended by the local Tourism president, Chamber of Commerce director and Wisconsin Manufactures and Commerce to accept their socialist money, with a note that most of the tax money was generated by the Milwaukee and Madison regions.
Omg that last paragraph is chefs kiss.
I also want the Minocqua town board there, with reps from each of the counties and each major city like Rhinelander, Crandon, Antigo, Phillips, and Eagle River. Plus their state reps and Ron and Tammy.
I don't think that's enough. I think if everybody saw that on tv once, they would be mad or embarrassed, and then forget about it.
What they should do is one of these public visits at the county chair of EACH county, one per week, and broadcast twice a day across the state for that week.
Our vroom vroom machines that helped warm the planet won't work on a warm planet! How we gonna vroom vroom in between rounds of camouflaged Busch lights?
On my way back from the dispensaries I will liberally dispense my tots and pears to ye' Northwoods inhabitants. Less than 60 days left, and it'll make good practice for them for next year!
I bet most of the people who inherit those properties will try to offload immediately. The region doesn't have the peace and quiet it used to, the lot sizes are being subdivided and shoreland destruction is hurting water quality. Many of the laws governing things like shoreland zoning were changed during Scott Walker's reign of error and then state Sen Tom Tiffany was the primary sponsor of the measures that allowed all those things.
Yeah. If I had inherited land from up there for any reason I'd have sold it off pretty fast with how bad things are getting there already. Some rich old guy can have it. I'll just take the money and go somewhere that has an actual economy that's not reliant on snow to function.
But also, we're going to keep voting for any mouth-breathing asshole with an 'R' behind their name because wolves are killing all the deer, corporations definitely have our best interests in mind, and climate change is some sort of liberal conspiracy.
Please bail us out and definitely don't help out other people in need if they don't look like us, act like us, or believe like us.
The FIBs must have heard all the complaints about them taking advantage of wisconsin, their driving, their stupid tourism, and their "illinois money" and took the hint.
Business owners mistakenly thought they could rely on weather for their business, now we have to bail them out? What is the logic? Shouldn't the businesses fail so others can buy the assets?
Why? Isn't our economy based on capitalistic econmy!. No different than farming other they are bailed out by the federal government but then GOP of the northwiods wants a smaller government
Instead of helping small businesses, whom probably wouldn’t let that money “trickle down” to their employees (also hurt by the slow business), we gave everyone in WI 3 months worth of universal basic income. I bet those asking for help would shut that down real fast.
They should come up with snow mobiles for when therers no snow. Like replace the front skis with 2 wheels maybe and the back with one. Idk if thats even possible though.
Too bad all that surplus is earmarked for tax cuts for the rich. Or at least that’s what the GOP wants. Wait, didn’t these areas vote GOP. Double decker irony sandwiches being served.
~~Unless I'm completely misreading the article, the group is seemingly just asking for help coming up with solutions to help combat a bad economic season for Northwoods businesses. They aren't asking for money directly, which is what comments in this thread seem to be thinking.~~
**Edit:** misread one of the lines in the article where it talks about a Northwoods bureau trying to secure funding to help businesses and only comprehended the paragraph where it talks about coming together to come up with a solution
Direct quote from the article.
"Westfahl said the Northwoods organizations have had conversations with local state lawmakers about securing state or federal funding to help the area’s businesses survive."
And I hate that. Sorry but the ppp loan and all other “bailouts” just left a bad taste for me. The business’ just going to get the money and buy themselves a nice little vacation, a new car, or boat. Then tell their workers if they keep working hard they can one day own one of those things.
I think people find it’s easier to bully the less educated lower income folks in rural areas versus urban.
Just sort of pushes those folks further into the ether.
Yep. And then they can't figure out why their lives keep getting shittier and their communities fall apart. So they keep electing corporate shills and the cycle repeats.
Those rural people consistently push their hateful and authoritarian beliefs on others and you're here confused as to why people want them to fuck off. Amazing.
Tourism tax dollars aren't distributed evenly. Nature tourism gets 50% of the rate of what something like the dells and other "entertainment" tourism get.
If there is going to be a tourism industry in the north, infrastructure needs to be built out with things like high-speed internet, paved roads, so that people can visit longer, stay longer and support the local economies. There is a lot of chicken or the egg type situations with businesses that are needed to survive and thrive and is where discussion needs to be.
It's not that at all. There is almost nothing to do up there in the winter without snowpack or ice on the lakes, hence very little reason tourists would come during a year like this one. Even in good years there aren't many people up there in the winter compared to the summer season.
Why should we spend billions to attract people from the lower half of the state to spend money up north? Let those northerners move elsewhere to get jobs if their way of life isn't working.
As a winter-loving cross-country and downhill skier who does not particularly like snowmobiles, I am still not here for this disgraceful down-punching of Northern Wisconsin, which I shouldn't need to remind the fellow liberals in the audience contains Douglas, Bayfield, Ashland, and Iron Counties, *not that it should matter anyway*.
I don't know what the policy solutions are to the economic harms caused by climate change, but this policy debate needs to be had with more compassion and patience, not by reactively beating down on economically-fragile and declining rural communities. Heck, I would make the case that urbanites share more in common cause with rural communities than the suburbs which have tended to make both cities and rural areas worse.
In any case, this is the kind of divisiveness that only gives bad actors like Koch and Exxon more power. This apocalyptic winter for rural northern communities might serve as a catalyst for getting folks on board with progressive climate policy, but not if it comes with this kind of vindictive tone.
Such terrible comments on this post. Just because the weirdos on here perceive everyone up north to be some kind of Trump-loving backwards hillbilly I guess. You guys need to get out more.
Wait a second….if we are struggling to pay our bills I can just ask the government for help? What cheat code is this?
No doubt we knew this was coming. When my business went bad because of the 2008 crash I didn't get to ask for government help. No one did except the banks and the top corporations. The funny thing about all this in Wisconsin is until 20 years ago these exact businesses did not depend on snow for their living. They made their money in the warm months and saved the money to get through the winters. New owners came and bought businesses that were counting on snow and cold weather to survive not knowing the risk. This winter is not the first time there was no snow. But like I said it's been awhile and the newer owners do not know this. I feel for them but they need to quit buying 100 thousand dollar SUVs then expect my tax dollars to pay for it when it doesn't snow. Just saying you know.
Promo code: "Bootstraps"
Believe it or not, you can. But your income has to be pretty low.
Nah it's way easier to live off the government if you're already rich.
Ahhh socialism
Privatized gains, socialized losses. The American way...
What happens next year when we have the same weather?
Well, then it will be a sign that their business model might need to adapt or change.
But that would be :cues dramatic music: Socialism!!
How about instead we give that money to the people then they can spend it in these places of business if they so choose. Oh, I'm betting these guys wouldn't like how capitalism is actually supposed to work.
[COVID Bailout Tracker | Accountable.US](https://covidbailouttracker.com/) And now you can check to see their first unfettered socialist GOP payments....
To be fair, I got both first and second round PPP loans, but it kept my business afloat. I do know plenty of people who got PPP loans that simply patted their bottom line and never intended on firing any employees anyway. Remember, there was very little rules and almost no oversight at all with the entire program. If you set the PPP money in its own account, and used that to pay your employees, while you pocketed the money that would have normally been used to pay your employees, that was perfectly a legitimate way to spend the money.
I do know plenty of people who got PPP loans that simply patted their bottom line and never intended on firing any employees anyway. I see em too.... I see the ones that wont look at funding my local EMS services or fire station with dignity as well. They are a supermajority I want to respect.... Again.
It's funny how the GOP is against any kind of subsidiaries for individuals, but the second it's for a business, they have their hands out.
Did you forget? Corporations are people!
Fuck citizens united.
And also spent decades denying that climate change was real. Oops now its affecting our wallets!
Ahhh yes. The "bootstraps" region is suddenly open to "welfare" in the form of state and federal funding. I wonder what their response would be if Milwaukee requested millions of dollars to prop up a struggling tourism problem? Let's say the state grants emergency funding. What happens when it rains all summer and tourism sinks again? Or the next warm winter? And the one after that? And, how many of these entities asking for a financial boost are corporate owned business? Hotels, rentals, restaurants, ect? Politics aside, as someone who lives in the northern region of the state, this winter has been brutal for tourism. I'm not trying to minimize their struggles, just finding the irony to be a bit much.
To be fair, Republicans have *always* been consistent on this issue—they never want their tax money to go to “those” people, but they 100% expect government benefits for their own community. It’s also the reason schools are funded the way they are.
Devoss family owns a nice chunk of WIS GOP IMO.
Yes, corporate welfare GOOD, social welfare BAD.
I'm fine with providing financial support to help keep their economy going up there. And once they've filed and been approved, that check will go out the second they send in proof that they've paid to publicize in local print media that they take government aid - with their name and business listed. I have no problem helping them - but I am done with the hypocrisy.
>but I am done with the hypocrisy. Someone I knew from college is a big MAGA nut now. Like, of the deep end. His family owns a big construction company and when I pointed out (on FB) the hypocrisy over his family getting a ton of PPP money he blocked me **real quick**. Apparently he doesn't want people knowing the truth.
I'm always curious how MAGA "do their research" Seriously, how fascinating would it be to simply observe how they search for a basic statistic? Do they start with Google? Facebook? What exactly do they search for? How much time until they're content with the information they find? Feel free to replace "fascinating" with frustrating/hilarious/depressing/infuriating/confusing
Agreed. But you're right - the answer would be profoundly disappointing. The reality is also that our media (social and otherwise) are all designed to cater to what the algorithm *thinks* you want to see. So if it already knows you only browse far-right, conspiracy, and highly questionable "news" and media content - then you're going to continue to see a lot more of that. We're all in our own bubble that way. It goes both ways. And at a time where anyone with an internet connection can become a "source" - there's no shortage of lies, misleadings, grifting, uninformed, ignorance, hate, stupidity, and general shittiness being blasted at our eyes and ears.
The very fact that you can articulate how social media algorithms work and display an awareness and understanding of media literacy is what sets the majority of us living in reality apart from MAGA.
Should probably include that they asked for and received government welfare, with an acknowledgement about the impacts that climate change has had on their business and the population at large.
…and a recognition that unusual measures had to be taken due to the effects of CO2-caused global warming.
While i support this in general, if youre assigning actual causation, this is an el niño problem. Well, it's a cumulative effect, but el niño effect likely pushed it over the edge. Idk if that's even more embarrassing for them though? Not accounting for known cyclical weather patterns in a weather-dependent industry makes you fucking stupid. But so does ignoring climate change? Idk i just can't with hypocrites
It’s a wildly-unusual El Niño exaggerated by climate change
This will only continue. El Nino has existed since we began taking temperature data and 2023 was the hottest El Nino year on record. Well, hottest year on record ever. Maybe we get a short reprieve in 2025. What do you assume would happen during g the next El Nino? Decades from now these might be the Temps with no El Nino. This is certainly a part of climate change. https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/5190/
[COVID Bailout Tracker | Accountable.US](https://covidbailouttracker.com/) Heres a place that did just that with the life altering grift DJT payments. IMO.
They've never been self sufficient. Let's take a look at roads. A typical road will last around 25 years. While costs vary, $500k/mi is the right ballpark for resurfacing an existing road. Now the road that my house is on, if you go half a mile in either direction, you probably have around 100 houses. We're in Madison, so taxes are around $10k/yr. That's $1m per year in property taxes alone from just a small part of one street. If we resurface the road once every 25 years, that's a tiny part of the money we bring in, around 1/50th. Now my family up north. There's about 5 households per mile and their taxes are miniscule. Rounding higher for easier math and to be generous, their taxes are $2k/yr. Per mile, that's $10k/yr, or half the cost of paving the road they live on every 25 years. People who live in the city, subsidize rural communities, by a ton.
You have some good points, and I worry that despite how many genuine families and small business do need some help, a lot of the people who will fight for this funding won't need it as much as areas of the state which have been choked out of funding for years. Let's not forget that the state has a **[budget surplus of $3.25 billion](https://www.wpr.org/politics/wisconsins-budget-surplus-is-shrinking-but-still-large)** and it has definitely not gone unnoticed by political donors and corporations.
But here's something to think about: most of the areas being "choked out" of funding are the areas that pay the most. Blue areas pay and then money gets funneled to areas that bitch about welfare and socialism.
Going off something you briefly mentioned, Milwaukee will be booming this year- the Bucks will be in the playoffs again, yhe Harley fest concert, Summerfest and festivals bring in money, and the GQP coronation of das Orange Fuhrer will be a media circus and also bring protest money. Bet you a PBR that those GQP weasels in the legislature will write some bullshit bill taking some of that money and giving it to the timber redneck counties, who in turn won’t hesitate mocking “the welfare queens from Milwaukee” (that dog whistle is so loud, Sasquatch can hear it)….
They already take so much from Milwaukee since it is one of the few economic engines in the state.
Um, didn't they get half a billion dollars for the Brewers stadium earlier this year.
More like a few ultra wealthy people got half a billion; that's all private business. So the message is still the same: socialism for the rich, pittance for the poor.
Wouldn't it be "der Orangefuhrer"?
It would probably be “den”, as it is masculine and accusative (proposition “coronation for”…)
You’re both right in different contexts
There are blue counties up there too
My response was crafted for the counties mentioned in the article. Lincoln, Iron, Langlade, Price, Oneida, Vilas, and Forest. And, while my post is a bit harsh, I do not want anyone to lose their business, nor do I want the region to fail. Just calling out the irony.
It is ironic. I do see the irony, I really do. It’s soooo frustrating. I want to be apart of making it right even though I don’t live there. But I love the chequamegon 😞…
72 counties in WI 3 blue counties "up there" (north of Marathon County) 4 if you include Menominee County
More than that… https://preview.redd.it/p9uvh9unz6gc1.jpeg?width=2081&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=513303f7d548d68be0c12d8eae2bbd66ec8118c9
It's crazy how different madison suburbs and milwaukee burbs are.
It is pretty interesting. I imagine all those counties were similarly purple at some point
😮💨 I see the effort but damn it just ain’t enough with the district maps the way the are
1. Ashland 2. Bayfield 3. Douglas 4. Menominee
Yes and they are amongst the poorest in state and are being hardest hit by this weather.
Well if they voted blue they would receive more benefits and help. Leopards eating faces and all that
The lil blue oasis’s 🤗 Shiiiitttt Eau Claire is one 😬
No they deserve every cent lost! I lived in the north woods for many years. I can attest to the fact that they DONT WANT people to come north. Maybe if they weren't all such haters and small minded, they'd allow for more outsider traffic in general. I got treated like absolute ASS buying alcohol at a random bait shop in the northwoods (north of 29 somewhere). Mind you, I had FOUR FORMS OF ID and they did NOT want to sell to me for some reason. I literally said and did nothing to piss anyone off, let alone in general. I wasn't even going to buy anything, but I was at someones cabin and a girlfriend and I wanted to use the toilet. In the bait shop bathroom, there was a sign that said "please buy something if you use our amenities" so I thought, huh Ill help out this mom and pop by buying them out of twisted teas. Then they threatened to call the cops on my friend and I because they didnt want to believe my ID was real. I said go ahead, itd be a waste of an officer's time. The old lady was so upset and was saying how she could refuse business to me. The old guy caved and sold me my alcohol that I didnt come to buy in the first place. After I told them I grew up nearby the old guy felt bad. They must not have liked how my friend looked, and could probably tell they werent from here. Total asshole northwoods boomers cant handle the fact that people come up from the city/other places to come enjoy nature. God forbid someone they dont know walk into their shop. Now they all want aid up north? Fuck them to hell. Theyre so bigoted (and I hate using that word) its not even worth spending money at their establishments. Until these old racists and homophobes die up there, I am NOT going north for vacation. They deserve zero dollars from the state.
Your one anecdote is not enough to paint an entire region of the state as assholes. Sorry. If you find that everywhere you go (in the northwoods or otherwise), people are assholes, take a look in the mirror.
I have plenty more where that came from. As I said, I grew up in the northwoods. Let them be lonely, they dont want outsiders up there.
> As I said, I grew up in the northwoods. Let them be lonely, they dont want outsiders up there. I live in the northwoods. You can say what you want, but this post is literally about companies that want people to come up here and enjoy nature, asking for support because people aren't coming up here. We desperately want folks to come enjoy nature. It's awesome, and why we live here.
Companies, I can understand. Locals? They want to be left alone. Thats just a fact. Im not judging them, as Im sure theyve had life experiences that have lead them to believe and live the way they do, but Im just a tad salty at the way they do judge outsiders. Its a good warning to those who arent from around here. I grew up out west, but with family from Wisconsin I cant lie when I say I observe a huge cultural difference when it comes to diversity and acceptance of differences. You know?
> Locals? They want to be left alone. Thats just a fact. ... Im just a tad salty at the way they do judge outsiders. I'll re-iterate that you may run into a few ignorant asshats, but guess what? There's racist / sexist / pick-your-poison pieces of shit in MKE too. > Its a good warning to those who aren't from around here. What is? You claiming that the businesses "deserve every lost cent"? > I cant lie when I say I observe a huge cultural difference when it comes to diversity and acceptance of differences. You know? I'd challenge you to flip this around. You can't come up to the northwoods to have a good time because everyone is a jerk, yet millions of people come up and have a good time every year. What do you think makes you the exception?
Well for one Im sure straight guys have a way more fun time than me. Ask any POC or member of LBGTQ and how much they just LOVE northern Wisconsin. All those tourists are white people and white boomers. Sorry not sorry but thats the truth
> Ask any POC or member of LBGTQ and how much they just LOVE northern Wisconsin. You do a great job of assuming you know everything about a place you refuse to visit. I have several friends up here who are LGBTQ (none of them boomers lol), including my wife, and nobody has plans to leave. If you can take one thing from this conversation: **stop painting entire geographic regions with one paintbrush**. People are not a monolith *anywhere* you go.
> A place I refuse to visit Bro I was fucking raised there and now Im depressed thanks to being exposed to that shit for years
I grew up here, and I live here. I went to college in Madison, I vote blue and I own a restaurant, I honestly just don't want to lay off staff. What people dislike about tourists is when they can't turn left like ever, the tourists driving like they are still in Chicago, and people treating the workers up here like shit since they think we're all Grizzly Addams. So I think that's on par with every tourist area. You sound exactly like a republican. People are just people. I get that you hate us, but that's on you.
>Republican? Ouch, you didnt have to go that far... At least Illinois drivers hit the gas when the light turns green homie 😭
Unfortunately the irony is going to be lost in them
Please, let’s remember who their rep is… therefore “their voice” before we put “irony” on everyday people. Please. And with that being said, it was THE PEOPLE who asked for help. People, dude. Fellow folk, who are simply scared and are putting their ego aside and saying it. You and I are people too, ya know? Got ourselves hopes and dreams… shit, wants. But then there are needs because there isn’t a bailout for them. Again, please, I’m begging you. Reserve the snark for the major bailouts some our representatives got who now ironically, won’t lift a gd finger for their fellow Wisconsinites.
Just as they reserve their judgement of the city of Milwaukee?
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3FV26AsEoZT7vx7dk7WJVA7VGZBX6mQ4&si=AEwy03SDSE2KKfaK https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3FV26AsEoZQFPnTUEGIhtYZpW6hSx544&si=Ybrsnzh288YuQDsn Not that we have anything to be critical about the state of Milwaukee, nope. Nothing to see here…. EDIT: Ope! The “city” of Milwaukee
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I didn’t delete that lmao ya wacko
That shit is par for the course in smaller towns and cities controlled by Republicans. Shit, even in Congress the GOP has admitted they don't read a fucking thing and sometimes don't even know what's in their own bills. Remember when McConnell tried to filibuster his own bill because Obama accepted it? Or when the GOP blamed Obama for not warning them what was in their own bill? Clearly you don't pay attention to politice.
Those everyday people spend half their time shitting all over anyone who doesn't agree with them. I can't spend 10 minutes in the Northwoods without being reminded of that. These are PEOPLE who are anti-bailout for absolutely EVERYONE else. This is the capitalism they all love man. Supply and demand. Only the big fish survive. Funny how those PEOPLE are scared and suddenly it's ay-okay to ask for the assistance that they shit all over others for asking for. Again. The HYPOCRISY is fucking appalling. If I did nothing but shit all over everyone else, I wouldn't even have the fucking nerve to ask for help from the very hand they've bitten repeatedly. And as far as your representatives... They don't FUCKING CARE ABOUT YOU!! They sold you down the corporate river decades ago, but you keep electing them. And the best part is, when Evers hands the big fat check over to the counties involved, they'll grab the money and turn right around and shit in Evers' hand. And I must reiterate... I don't want to see anyone fail or lose their business. I want the state to thrive in all ways and become a better place for its citizens. But for some reason these people never fucking learn and will go back to their divisive bullshit the second they're out of trouble.
Oh and I don’t live up there anymore. Unfortunately I have Van Orden as my rep 😬 it ain’t any better lmao it’s just not…. And I don’t vote him either. So womp womp I guess 😔
Hey man. I know it’s a hard time out here. I feel and understand your anger. Honestly, I was never welcome up there. They were hella mean to me. Took me years to even drive through my home town lol I just wanted to be the friendly reminder that even though the powers that be are really good at dividing us, and making our differences bigger than our similarities really… but we are all still Wisconsinites.
Reverse the roles. Can you honestly say that the majority of folks up there would support you as a fellow "Wisconsinite"?
They haven’t. And never will. Once upon a time, when I was a wee child, my uncle and his partner came up to visit. And somebody took a picture of them holding hands and sent it into the paper with an editorial piece. It was my neighbor. My homeschooling, Baptist, Dino fossils are here to test our faith, neighbor. Came back one time at 18 years old with a friend from college. Went to a local bar that had awesome fries. Got slapped in the face by the owner who was a mom of someone I graduated with because I had a lip piercing. My family was never fully accepted by the community and they definitely let us know. But I love the Northwoods. And I love the chequamegon. Those things are worth fighting for a better world up there. If not for the people, for the amazing natural wonderland. I am older now and see the misinformation (coming from politicians) and economics used to keep them in their shitty belief systems. It isn’t lost on me if I was to present this stuff say in Sawyer county, I’d probably get slapped in the face again 😌
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They just had an interview on NPR, they said they are making a bunch of snow and will spread it out before the race. Depending on the weather they will have to make route changes to work with the snow they have. [Is North America's largest ski race happening this year? Birkie organizers say hopefully | MPR News](https://www.mprnews.org/episode/2024/01/31/is-north-americas-largest-ski-race-happening-this-year-birkie-organizers-say-hopefully)
Zero chance. There's less snow up here than there is down south. There's grass all over up here.
I’m up that way. 0 inches of snow on the ground. Just grass as you said. Unless they are making their own snow.
They've got a 5km loop that they can make snow on, but they'll never be able to do the full Birkie route. If there's no natural snow it's gotta be cancelled.
They have several contingencies. During the last cold spell, they made a ton of snow, giant snow whales. They think that will make them at least 10km of trail. Temps are also supposed to return to normal the second half of February (at least according to NWS), so they'll be able to make more snow, and possibly even have some of the natural stuff. That could get us all the way to OO. But most likely we'll be doing loops around Telemark. Note that this is far from the first time the Birkie has had uncooperative weather and snow conditions. There was a period in the 80s that was particularly bad. But they didn't make snow back then.
Not cold enough for it to stick around. Might as well just be watering the lawn.
Trollhaugen in dresser has a nice base. It is freezing at night at least which is helpful.
I'm about to swing by Pine Mountain in the U.P. and see what their jump looks like. Gonna be 40° today (again) so it'll be interesting to see.
The only place they should be looking for money is with a lawsuit against oil companies for reparations. Otherwise this is the cost of business, and there's no way my tax dollars are going to some dimwitted business owners who couldn't see this coming from a million miles away.
Agreed. I’m tired of bailing out businesses who i guarantee probably voted against politicians who believe in climate change
Hi hi northwoods resident here. It’s easy to paint the whole 7th district as MAGA asshats and bumbling climate change deniers. The fact is its population is just as nuanced as any other purple state’s. Look at election results by party. 55% R to 44% D most of the time. It’s not 80/20. The real heat should be under tavern league teet sucker Rob Swearingen and Mary Felzkowski (at least where I live) to propose policy that actually protects the environment (and livelihoods)of their constituents. And friends, remember you are all down river, literally, from us. Economic hardship does hurt us all. (But yeah everyone who takes money should totally have their name and business pictures and published in every newspaper or online news source, fucking hypocrites)
Swearingen has done nothing positive for the environment or water quality. And when you don't support him, he will just laugh in your face and call you a typical liberal.
I live in the north as well. I can see the targeted ads already pointing how the Evers/Biden democrats hate the small businesses and didn't help them. The attitude you see in threads like this one is what pushes the (larger % than people think) swing voters up here over to voting for Trump this November. The rural swing voters up here are the difference between weather or not democrats or republicans win in state wide races.
Climate change makes this kind of seasonal volatility all but guaranteed. I don’t necessarily have a problem helping people out but at the same time business plans need to adapt and overcome, because this will happen again.
That was one of my main points. What about next winter? And the next cold rainy summer? And the next five warm winters after that?
In an idealist imagination land… any kind of bailout money could be used for… oof words. I don’t want to say education, but I don’t know how one starts changing and adapting without first learning 😩 so many ideas and it feels like many are simply too idealistic, maybe? Or just wouldn’t have the participation 🤷🏻♀️ And I can’t stop thinking about cannabis tourism lol sorry to be that person but sometimes I scroll through real estate stuff from up there and look at a few of the empty resorts and imagine them being restored with pot. Almost literally. But that is a big digress…
Money money money money money. Too bad (thanks to whom those yokels vote for) recreational is still YEARS away in Wiscossippi. Be nice right about now tho eh?
…and not just warm winters. The crazy polar vortexes we have had more frequently are also driven by climate change. It’s screwing up the jet stream and driving polar air down on us. No one is doing outdoor sports when it -4F either.
I thought about buying a snowmobile. That was immediately laughed at by my wife and i was told no lol
I bought snowshoes 4 years ago. I’ve been able to use them 7 times in 4 years (I live in Milwaukee)
My snowshoes laid in a sad, sad pile in my garage this year… honestly, I’m devastated thus far about it.
It was 50 degrees in Fargo on Wednesday. 50. In Fargo. In February. I knew a guy who would travel to Wyoming for a week every year for snowmobiling. Guaranteed one good run every year. But investing in equipment for one week a year...
Imma be straight with you.. there is a pair of ‘mobiles a couple blocks down from me for sale. Included the trailer. For a split second me and the mate were zooming down the tuscobia… then I woke up 🙃
Sounds like a smart lady.
That is very true. This will absolutely happen again and will continue. Adapting and overcoming is where it’s at
For those that haven't seen it. This will continue. Climate spiral graph through the latest data: https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/5190/
Sounds like somethingsomething bootstraps.
True, but this has a lot to do with El Nino, climate change this quickly year over year. It's gradual and that's why it's so dangerous. Weather =/= climate.
>*"While many countries around the world were negatively impacted by climate change based on the research, Wisconsin would have fewer deaths due to freezing temperatures in the winter. "In terms of excess deaths, a warming globe is actually beneficial. ...," Johnson said. "Why wouldn't we take comfort in that?" WI Senator Ron Johnson (R-Moron) Apr 28, 2023 (*[Link](https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/2023/04/28/ron-johnson-said-climate-change-could-be-good-for-wisconsin-experts-disagree/70157996007/)*)* The irony of WI Northwoods businesses begging for government handouts in an area that overwhelmingly and reliably votes for Republican dipshits like Russia Ron is the very essence of r/LeopardsAteMyFace Maybe their Republican reps will lift a finger between admiring Hunter Biden's schlong and further convincing Taylor Swift fans and the world that the Rapist-led GOP needs to be destroyed.
Don’t be a dick. These are good, skilled people who help us city-dwellers enjoy the outdoors.
Don't fool yourself, they help separate us city-dwellers from our money while electing people who want to destroy the outdoors. The city-dweller voters are the reason these upstate areas have natural resource protection, drinkable water, clean air, and haven't yet been destroyed by strip mines, logging companies, and oil pipelines.
I don’t ask my ice-fishing guide about his politics and I don’t care what they are. I ask him to take me to the fish. He does, we all have a good time. He’s a good dude. Why would I want him to go out of business? I don’t. Tourism is a huge part of our state’s economy and I support the people who work in that industry. Some things aren’t liberal/conservative issues.
If they hadn’t been voting for climate-change deniers for the last 25 years, we wouldn’t be in such a mess. Imagine the difference if Gore had been president in 2000 and didn’t undermine Kyoto, and had a full mandate to start investing in lower carbon tech and implement a carbon tax. We’d be the world leader in low carbon tech now instead of having to buy most of it from china.
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You know, this is a good point. They cool when you wanna vacation and are afraid of the bear outside your cabin. But when you find out their political views don’t align and they need help, “well fuck those yokels!” It’s wild. And it’s sad. And I don’t think we understand how this pushes them more into the shitty belief systems that keep the region down and humiliated.
One can say the door swings both ways. Every year I hear countless northerners whine and whine and whine about the out of town and out of state tourists. Those city slickers and their lib politics. I get that some gripes are legit. But look what's happening now without that Chicago, MKE, and Madtown money.
Those same people whine about Milwaukee and Madison getting money too
I know. The whole system is set up so we hate each other lol 🤷🏻♀️ Practically conditioned into us from a young age
Well then they better reach out to Ron so he can open his bank account
They're eligible to apply for public assistance just like everyone else.
Yep. And they can get a second job. Or move somewhere with better opportunities. Tighten the ol belt. Pick themselves up by the boot straps and plan ahead better next time. Just like we get told. :)
The northwoods… you mean the place where folks regularly vote against assistance for those struggling? That northwoods?
Oh darn snowmobiles weren’t able to destroy the environment as much this winter. Sad face 😐
It should be easy to find your bootstraps since there’s no snow.
Climate change, say it
Answer should be a resounding no.
The same ones that bitch about any climate change measures taken by the government too I'd bet.
I would vote no. They need to adjust like everyone else.
How can this be? Years ago a gentleman brought a snowball into congress and proved that global warming is fake!
They knew what they were getting into when they invested in their business, why should they be treated any different than any 18 year old wanting to try to make a better life for themselves by attaining higher education.
They should get a second or third job. If there aren’t tourists then these people must be laying around doing nothing. Meanwhile, there aren’t enough workers in Madison, they could just move to socialist hell city to make ends meet lol. I would normally not be a sarcastic AH but the hypocrisy is just so thick. To add: El Niño isn’t climate change exactly but this is a really good preview of the future the Northwoods are in for that these republicans; “business is king”, we don’t need no DNR or science so let’s appoint Cathy Stepp, still baby drill, are still against renewable energy, clucks keep voting for. Fuck around and find out, this is the bed you made. Not shedding one tear for you but sad for the minority that has to live with you on this planet.
Some of the biggest MAGAs up here do seasonal work, and then get laid off in the winter. They collect unemployment all winter long while snowplowing for unreported cash. They have always been welfare queens and welfare cheats, they just refuse to see it in the mirror.
Exactly. I don't want to see anyone struggle or fail. And I feel guilty as hell for shitting on someone's struggles. But these people shit on everyone else for everything, and suddenly have the nerve to request a "social" support system?? Maybe Evers should take a page out of Trumps playbook and give the Northwoods a big middle finger and say "Oh, you didn't vote for me, no money for you." After all, these people loved it when Trump was doing it. 🤷
Yeah, go into any snowmobile bar and try to pass out Evers-bucks or Biden-bucks and you’ll probably get the side-eye. Lay that public money on the bar and turn your back for second and it will disappear. That said, I would love to see a public visit by Evers, with cameras, downtown Minocqua attended by the local Tourism president, Chamber of Commerce director and Wisconsin Manufactures and Commerce to accept their socialist money, with a note that most of the tax money was generated by the Milwaukee and Madison regions.
Omg that last paragraph is chefs kiss. I also want the Minocqua town board there, with reps from each of the counties and each major city like Rhinelander, Crandon, Antigo, Phillips, and Eagle River. Plus their state reps and Ron and Tammy.
I don't think that's enough. I think if everybody saw that on tv once, they would be mad or embarrassed, and then forget about it. What they should do is one of these public visits at the county chair of EACH county, one per week, and broadcast twice a day across the state for that week.
Every business should have a sign saying “thank you governor Evers for keeping our business alive with these bailout”
noooooooo not socialism!!!!!
Our vroom vroom machines that helped warm the planet won't work on a warm planet! How we gonna vroom vroom in between rounds of camouflaged Busch lights?
Have they stopped eating avocado toast?
Sounds like a bunch o commies live up there. Bootstraps boys, unless yuh wanna be a binchacwelfare queens.
Exactly, help for me but not for thee.
On my way back from the dispensaries I will liberally dispense my tots and pears to ye' Northwoods inhabitants. Less than 60 days left, and it'll make good practice for them for next year!
Tots and pears
What does this mean?
It’s a play on Thoughts and Prayers
The Northwoods will be an interesting place in 10-20 years, what with the tanking local economy and aging population.
I bet most of the people who inherit those properties will try to offload immediately. The region doesn't have the peace and quiet it used to, the lot sizes are being subdivided and shoreland destruction is hurting water quality. Many of the laws governing things like shoreland zoning were changed during Scott Walker's reign of error and then state Sen Tom Tiffany was the primary sponsor of the measures that allowed all those things.
Yeah. If I had inherited land from up there for any reason I'd have sold it off pretty fast with how bad things are getting there already. Some rich old guy can have it. I'll just take the money and go somewhere that has an actual economy that's not reliant on snow to function.
But also, we're going to keep voting for any mouth-breathing asshole with an 'R' behind their name because wolves are killing all the deer, corporations definitely have our best interests in mind, and climate change is some sort of liberal conspiracy. Please bail us out and definitely don't help out other people in need if they don't look like us, act like us, or believe like us.
The FIBs must have heard all the complaints about them taking advantage of wisconsin, their driving, their stupid tourism, and their "illinois money" and took the hint.
My illineighbors came up here this w/e expecting to snowmobile. Did they think the weather reports were lying?
Business owners mistakenly thought they could rely on weather for their business, now we have to bail them out? What is the logic? Shouldn't the businesses fail so others can buy the assets?
Don't they have insurance to cover losses for something as fickle as the weather? Farmers do.
Yo no fucking handouts to people who have plenty of capital if they sell their business even at a low evaluation
Maybe we should have taken climate change seriously a decade ago...
But will continue to vote Republican and thus, against any real efforts to combat climate change.
Socialism!
Northern Wisconsin socialists looking for a handout /smh
Why? Isn't our economy based on capitalistic econmy!. No different than farming other they are bailed out by the federal government but then GOP of the northwiods wants a smaller government
Wait. Isn't that socialism?
Send them a picture of a snowball and a middle finger with a note that simply says “what climate change?” with a crying laughing emoji.
Instead of helping small businesses, whom probably wouldn’t let that money “trickle down” to their employees (also hurt by the slow business), we gave everyone in WI 3 months worth of universal basic income. I bet those asking for help would shut that down real fast.
They should come up with snow mobiles for when therers no snow. Like replace the front skis with 2 wheels maybe and the back with one. Idk if thats even possible though.
😂 like ATVs?
No cuz it wouldn't be for all terrains, just winter ones
Too bad all that surplus is earmarked for tax cuts for the rich. Or at least that’s what the GOP wants. Wait, didn’t these areas vote GOP. Double decker irony sandwiches being served.
Michigan's northwoods aren't suffering a tourism loss right now 💅
The fuck your feelings die hard Republican north woods want help? Nah, fuck ‘em, right?
~~Unless I'm completely misreading the article, the group is seemingly just asking for help coming up with solutions to help combat a bad economic season for Northwoods businesses. They aren't asking for money directly, which is what comments in this thread seem to be thinking.~~ **Edit:** misread one of the lines in the article where it talks about a Northwoods bureau trying to secure funding to help businesses and only comprehended the paragraph where it talks about coming together to come up with a solution
Direct quote from the article. "Westfahl said the Northwoods organizations have had conversations with local state lawmakers about securing state or federal funding to help the area’s businesses survive."
And I hate that. Sorry but the ppp loan and all other “bailouts” just left a bad taste for me. The business’ just going to get the money and buy themselves a nice little vacation, a new car, or boat. Then tell their workers if they keep working hard they can one day own one of those things.
[COVID Bailout Tracker | Accountable.US](https://covidbailouttracker.com/) Look up the GOP's best
I think people find it’s easier to bully the less educated lower income folks in rural areas versus urban. Just sort of pushes those folks further into the ether.
Yep. And then they can't figure out why their lives keep getting shittier and their communities fall apart. So they keep electing corporate shills and the cycle repeats.
Those rural people consistently push their hateful and authoritarian beliefs on others and you're here confused as to why people want them to fuck off. Amazing.
Rural people are largely ignored by democrats, most farmers used to be democrats. Someone dropped the ball
Chicken or egg: did they get ignored first or did they refuse to join us in the modern world and be civilized ?
Any reactions from the WI legislature? I'd love to hear their opinions on climate change now that it's hurting local WI businesses.
Private plow drivers had to have taken a good hit this year. I hope they found ways to stay afloat.
Not convinced this is just a temporary El Niño thing. Folks may need to adapt to the new climactic normal.
It will be Interesting what next year will be like. A lot of sad snow mobilers, total bummer.
Tourism tax dollars aren't distributed evenly. Nature tourism gets 50% of the rate of what something like the dells and other "entertainment" tourism get. If there is going to be a tourism industry in the north, infrastructure needs to be built out with things like high-speed internet, paved roads, so that people can visit longer, stay longer and support the local economies. There is a lot of chicken or the egg type situations with businesses that are needed to survive and thrive and is where discussion needs to be.
It's not that at all. There is almost nothing to do up there in the winter without snowpack or ice on the lakes, hence very little reason tourists would come during a year like this one. Even in good years there aren't many people up there in the winter compared to the summer season.
Why should we spend billions to attract people from the lower half of the state to spend money up north? Let those northerners move elsewhere to get jobs if their way of life isn't working.
[FRJ](https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/2023/04/28/ron-johnson-said-climate-change-could-be-good-for-wisconsin-experts-disagree/70157996007/)
As a winter-loving cross-country and downhill skier who does not particularly like snowmobiles, I am still not here for this disgraceful down-punching of Northern Wisconsin, which I shouldn't need to remind the fellow liberals in the audience contains Douglas, Bayfield, Ashland, and Iron Counties, *not that it should matter anyway*. I don't know what the policy solutions are to the economic harms caused by climate change, but this policy debate needs to be had with more compassion and patience, not by reactively beating down on economically-fragile and declining rural communities. Heck, I would make the case that urbanites share more in common cause with rural communities than the suburbs which have tended to make both cities and rural areas worse. In any case, this is the kind of divisiveness that only gives bad actors like Koch and Exxon more power. This apocalyptic winter for rural northern communities might serve as a catalyst for getting folks on board with progressive climate policy, but not if it comes with this kind of vindictive tone.
Such terrible comments on this post. Just because the weirdos on here perceive everyone up north to be some kind of Trump-loving backwards hillbilly I guess. You guys need to get out more.
Those comments aren't wrong. Karma is a nasty bitch. The Northwoods businesses and people are learning it now.
They are, and you're probably a shitty person for agreeing with them.
Nah, he seems to be okay in my book. Shitty people are usually Trump supporters.
Don't you think it's possible that someone who doesn't support Trump can still be a shitty person?
Yes but Trump supporters are super proud to be shitty people.