Jane you Ignorant .......Saturday Night Live
A clip with
Dan Aykroyd and Jane Curtain
Idea from Phil Gocke ...thanks Phil
As you readers know I took a major step by surrendering an entire "Observations" to blog reader John Delnegro. In all my posts I generally have respected my readers anonymity unless it was in a supportive way. My post about "seniors" stated that several seniors at SCC grumbled and that was all true. John elected to reveal himself as one of them - via his comments and I respect his honesty. However his rebuttal needs a response (I think) so here goes....John hang on.
John your opening lead was simply to much of a coincidental ironic "tee up" to resist.
REI is an "upscale" outdoor place known for very progressive management. Headquartered in Everett Washington their sales are centered in SF, Seattle, Denver, NYC, Washington DC, Boston. Their founder and CEO was made Secretary of Interior by President Obama and ironically she likely had a lot to say about National Park pricing. REI for years has refused to do business with any "outdoor" company that has any "gun related" business.
John, In my mind I picture stores filled with MAGA hatted, gun tooting, real down home republicans etc....yeah right. You get the irony.
Now John you told me often that I was misguided for boycotting the NFL for politics. I ultimately conceded and came around to your point of view. So I understand that you would shop at the very upscale REI Stores even if you know their views. However from Wikipedia I simply loved this (I could not make this up after you calculated the cost of that poor "lady clerk" REI employees National Park spending):
"Employees receive discounts on merchandise, may be eligible for free or discounted outdoor classes, and also receive a "Yay day" pass, entitling them to spend up to 6 hours outdoors for pay. [35] REI has been ranked in the top 100 Companies to Work for in the United States by Fortune since 1998, which earned it a place in the Fortune "Hall of Fame". REI ranked as #8 in 2012,[36] #69 in 2014, #58 in 2015[37], #26 in 2016[38], and #28 in 2017.[39]
It sounds like a wonderful company to work for and very likely that time spent in National Parks yielded outdoor time with pay for much of that "clerks" trips to National Parks over the years. So I am not buying your "bleak picture" on the costs of National Park Fees for that poor REI "clerk". It strikes me as humorous since it just might be an upcoming federal mandate for all US companies to provide by our next Democratic President. Who could argue?
John, remember that my blog complained specifically about long lines of seniors in Giant Motorhomes, owned by wealthy seniors, clogging up the roads. Heck they belch carbon for peat's sake! Now I would think that fact alone would have made you support my complaint since I am sure you spend your money at REI specifically because it virtue signals a whole Carbon neutral ethos. Either way I hope you keep shopping there for my sake to help offset my shopping at North Face outlets. I find they offer more reasonably priced products but acknowledge is likely has a greater carbon footprint. We should all shop for values we see as important!
Enough good natured kidding about REI. I am sure it has some nice merchandise, happy content employees and yes solid "corporate values". Diversity maybe not so much if you include say hunting as your "outdoor activity", That is not allowed in the REI outdoor activity.
Let's talk stats about our poor seniors.
I agree stats can be deceiving, and concur that millions of our fellow seniors may in fact be struggling...including some Mooselodgers and REI clerks. Yes it is true one can use statistics to support arguments many ways. However you have conflated income with wealth. As a personal example as a senior I now have less "income" from Pensions and SS than I did when I was age 35! But I am now much, much 'wealthier". But note my stats were clearly based on net worth not income. There is no dispute from any reputable economist that seniors have much greater "net worth" by a huge margin....just think of home ownership. Yes net worth also includes motorhomes worth half a million (even for members of the Moose Club who own Motor Homes). I would also bet that most Moose Lodge retirees near Naples Florida are not reduced to eating Alpo but I concede, and have seen first hand, how they generally drink cheaper "Bud" or "Pabst" rather than more expensive craft beers. So I agree that many are not necessarily well heeled. Still I see no need to feel sorry for the overwhelmingly nice and apparently happy seniors I met at your Moose Lodge. Most, like me, seemed to prefer non -IPA's due to taste preferences not price. I will also not dispute your general observations about the financial status of many of the younger members of SCC, who seem to prefer more expensive beers at the bar there than I do. ( I do like Whistlepig so I concede that before you tell my readers about my beer/whiskey hypocrisy see below). So to save our readers more angina I will concede some seniors are really poor and some Stowe young people are well off. So now let's move on to Stowe CC pricing.
When I published my chart I never really noticed that the pricing on those over 70 actually is much lower than the younger bracket.... a fact you kindly pointed out that I missed! So Seniors at Stowe in fact still have something to cheer about. I checked my old quicken data and would simply say it is much cheaper than I paid when I first joined in 2009, so I have something to look forward to in a couple of years. But for now I still think Barbara and I are better served by having those of our friends who are members "invite" us join them...and get a round for 85 bucks with cart (if I walk it's 55 bucks). The convenience of a short drive allows me to enjoy those Whistle Pigs heck I even walked home week one! OK so another example of price/what one values. A DUI would be costly!
Finally as to demographics, alas John your probably right, certainly for the immediate future. Less children born to golfers means much less future for the sport, at any price. Additionally, golf takes time and patience, both in short supply for most young people these days. One can only hope they learn to develop patience in the coming years with us seniors when the cost of SS and Medicare really hits the fan.
Not just socialism but assisted senior suicide may very well be in all of our cards some day!
So John, you ignorant sl.....
Until next time
Adieu
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