Insight into KPAA's mission and complaints about "Killington's blogger"

From: Christopher Karr <chrisk@karrgroup.net>

Date: 03/02/2016 10:12 AM (GMT-05:00)

To: Tao Smith <tsmith@killingtonmountainschool.org>

Cc: Howard Smith <howard@snowmobilevermont.com>, Howard Smith <howard@vermontsushi.com>, ttaylor@killington.com, Vincent Chiarella <boss@bossofficeworks.com>, Mike Solimano <msolimano@killington.com>, Phil Black <lookoutvt@gmail.com>, Howard Karass <hkarass@karrpd.com>, Kyle Kershner <kyle@killingtonpicorealty.com>, Nancy Koch <nancypkoch@gmail.com>, "<mountainmeadowsvt@hotmail.com>" <mountainmeadowsvt@hotmail.com>, Jason Mikula <jason@mountaintimes.info>, Sasha Parise <sashap@karrgroup.net>, "<phatitalianvt@aol.com>" <phatitalianvt@aol.com>, "<christine@basinski.com>" <christine@basinski.com>, Beth Weinberg <beth@bethweinberg.com>, Chris Bianchi <bianchijc@gmail.com>, Howard Karass <hkarass@karrcomm.com>, amy@killingtonpico.org

Subject: Re: How Important This Election Is

Howard’s letter was spot on to the issues at hand.  Some brief history for those who may or may not care.  In 2012 at the invitation of the resort, the chamber hired Carl Ribaudo of Strategic Marketing Group from Salt Lake City to advise the chamber on our future.  Beyond struggling with our relationship with the Resort (the headed by Nyberg), we were looking at pathways to remove or replace the options tax.  The tax, at the time, was very divisive in our relationship with the resort.  (Understandable)  Mr. Ribaudo’s background was in creating organizations that were responsible for marketing regions and creating advocacy for businesses in a  community.

The report is still available, but one of the underlying recommendations  was for the “chamber” to become more of an advocacy group, and stand up for issues that were important to the membership as a whole.  Howard’s letter was to the point.  Why would we ever support a candidate that is not supportive of the business community?  Unless I am missing something, The Butternut is the only business in town that is not part of our organization.  Does that not tell us something?  

I am not sure how Howard’s letter got in the hands of   “Killington’s Blogger”, but the cheap shots thrown at him are without merit. First, the 1% option tax is raised by the businesses of the town.  The original intent of the tax was designed to market and develop our resort area.  Not to pay debt on a golf course that competes with our largest contributor, Killington Resort.  The small stipend that currently helps support the welcome center at the gateway to Killington is a fraction of the dollars raised every year.  In terms of the attack of Howard’s residency, all I can honestly say is we are fortunate to have him as President of the KPAA.  It was Howard’s vision that a group of us came together to purchase Bill’s Country Store, hold for a period of time, and eventually sell the KPAA at no gain.  While the plan has taken longer than anticipated, it is a good plan that members of Bill’s LLC are committed to completing.  The business and the community as a whole should be appreciative of his vision.

I can only hope that his letter influenced a few people to get out and vote for the continued future of the KPAA.

Christopher Karr
chrisk@karrgroup.net

The Pickle Barrel
JAX Food & Games

The Foundry
Killington, Vermont  05751

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Comment:

So this email just confirms the primary function of the KPAA is lobbying. In effect its primary target is the Town of Killlington and by extension, the taxpayers. They hired the consultant Ribaudo who, when sitting in Bill's Country Store parking lot across from the 10 foot Killington sign, didn't know where he was. What does that tell you?

And what does he tell them to do instead of increasing their business by stimulating demand through their own efforts - he tells them to become a lobbying organization. And that's what they've become and seem to be successful at it as they have convinced the town and apparently the taxpayers to subsidize them. 

As far as "the cheap shots thrown at him (Howard Smith)... by "Killington's Blogger" are without merit" , notice how there are no specifics as to what those "cheap shots" are. You know why - because there weren't any.

He goes on to say,  "In terms of the attack of Howard’s residency," which is the best he can come up with of so called "cheap shots" it's a statement of fact and I will again state, "WHY ARE WE SUBSIDIZING A PRIVATE ENTITY??? WHY IS THE PRESIDENT OF THIS ENTITY, A NON-RESIDENT, TRYING TO DICTATE THE DIRECTION OF OUR TOWN??

In reality, other than the fact that Howard Smith, Chris Karr, and perhaps the Executive Board and members of the KPAA condone lobbying for and accepting subsidies from the taxpayers for a private organization, I applaud their efforts at trying to create demand for their businesses - that's what they should be doing. And if they going to lobby and influence town politics they should do it in public so everyone knows exactly where they stand.

 

The town government is also complicit in this scheme - I can't for the life of me understand how town fathers can get away with funding a private organization, one of whose main functions is to lobby the town, so they can keep lobbying the town for more of the town's resources. It's a vicious circle ! The foxes are in the hen house and the roosters are letting them in. 

I guess this isn't without precedent, as the town has also awarded hundreds of thousands if not millions of dollars in contracts to people who sue the town and thwart the progress of ski village, the  biggest proposed economic development project the town has seen since the advent of the ski resort. And that in in the middle of all these supposed economic development efforts. 

Vito