Saturday, February 10, 2024

Warm February having bad economic side effects for some in Wisconsin

Been some unusual and damaging weather in these parts for the usually cold and snowy month of February.

On the other end of the state, the lack of snow up North is leading to economic hardship for businesses that rely on Winter tourism.

At Clayton's 1881 Room restaurant in Three Lakes, owner Scott Wisner is crossing his fingers to get 100 customers through the door in any given week, about a third of what they get in a normal winter.

At Track Side rentals and service shop in Eagle River, workers are catching up on projects around the shop as not a single one of their 75 rentable snowmobiles have hit a trail this winter season.

Mercer's Great Northern Hotel's best weekend this season saw just 10 of its 80 rooms rented. Last winter all 80 rooms were rented every weekend from Christmas to the beginning of March.

"It's been pretty awful," said Eric Behnke, who owns the hotel. "It's not a fun time up here."....

"We make money for three or four months, then operate in the red for four months, and usually recoup when snowmobilers come up," Behnke said. "To go nine months in the red — I don't know if it's possible to survive that."
And from the "snow tourism" side doesn't look like it's going to be any better for the upcoming President's Day Weekend (when most of Illinois is off on that Monday). Barring some unforeseen snowfall this week, the deficit for Northwoods tourism businesses is likely to grow by quite a bit.

Interestingly, the State of Wisconsin just added more than $3 million dollars to pay for weather-related disasters, with much of that heading to Northern Wisconsin.

So is it time for Governor Evers to call for using some of our surplus to help the people in Northern Wisconsin and Rock County that suffered damages due to weather, instead of more tax cuts to the rich and comfortable? And given that every legislator north of Highway 29 is a Republican (thanks gerrymandering!), why aren't they raising more of a concern about the many constituents that are going to be going through hard times due to this warm winter?

Seems like that may be in order before the Legislature goes on their 10-month paid vacation. Or maybe Governor Evers has to drop a line to President Biden asking for some FEMA help for these weather-related damages, if the state doesn't do anything (although that takes time to get reimbursements on)?

Not that I'm complaining about a lack of 10-degree days (I'm liking it a lot, in fact), but I know that it's something that has its drawbacks. Especially when it's a sudden change that damages the economy as it has in February 2024.
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2 comments:

  1. Teaching in WisconsinFebruary 11, 2024 at 12:33 AM

    I don't want one dollar of my state tax monies used to bail out the 100% Republican north woods businesses. I am a patron and supporter of the Minocqua Brewing Company and have seen the intolerance of the MAGA local yokels that have been trying to drive MBC out of business for 3 years, and drive it's customers out of Minocqua. Last summer when I was at the Minocqua Brewing Company on a weekend afternoon, in the 2 hours my group was there, at least a half dozen MAGA locals stopped their pickup trucks in front of the building and screamed profanities and threats to all of us at the brewery. Told us "libruls" to get the F##k out of Minocqua; F##king Commies, etc... Divide and Conquer at it's finest! Our family used to spend a vacation week fishing in Minocqua, never again. So this "librul" and all my Commie friends spend our vacation $$ over in Minnesota at Lake of the Woods where the MAGAs haven't taken over their state. Zero sympathy from me for all those MAGA businesses in Minocqua and across far northern Wisconsin that have made non-MAGA customers totally unwelcome in their towns. Hope they starve up there this winter. I am disgusted that Gov. Evers' administration is considering giving them even $1 in state aid.

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  2. AnonymousFebruary 11, 2024 at 3:24 PM

    I get your point, as it is hard to have sympathy for people who elect climate-denying trash like Tom Tiffany and Ron Johnson, then have to deal with economic damage from a severe El Niño and other climate reasons. They have been gifted with a special part of the country for natural beauty and resources, but don’t step up to protect it. If you want to tell these MAGAs to F off and not spend your money in their communities…I get it.

    But no one deserves to go broke due to fluky weather, and we should at least recognize that a lot of relatively innocent people are going to be in need of help. In fact, Dems should be asking why Up North Republicans don’t want to help their constituents in need…and then mock them for wanting government spending if they do ask for it. Especially if they want Biden to declare an emergency and unlock FEMA aid.

    Jake

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