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Coalition calls for veto of recreation commission legislation & Urges Ulster County to be more supportive of Belleayre Mt. Ski Center
06/24/2008
Coalition to Save Belleayre Chairman Joe Kelly reacted with increased frustration to the news this week that legislation forming a blue ribbon commission to study the state's participation in the recreation industry was passed by the New York State Legislature. "This legislation was pushed through by Greene County real estate interests in protectionist efforts to grab an ever greater share of the skier visits to the Catskill Region," said Kelly. "We call on Governor Paterson to veto this legislation and urge all Belleayre Mt. supporters to call and e-mail the governor on this matter."
"The Ulster County Legislature has been totally AWOL on this issue," said Kelly, who started his call for action with Dave Donaldson, Chairman of that body. "The inattention of this county administration to this issue is mind-boggling to me," Kelly said yesterday, less than a week after union members were at the County Legislature begging for stronger support of the ski resort. "These governmental officials say tourism is important to the county," said Kelly. "But they sit back silently while Greene County relentlessly attacks the biggest attraction in western Ulster County. If they aren't willing to fight for a property that pulls 200,000 visitors a year across the county from Kingston to Highmount, what will they fight for?"
Urging Donaldson and his colleagues in county government to get moving, Kelly urged them to take swift action to try to have the legislation vetoed. Kelly called for a strong public statement supporting Belleayre and its role as an economic catalyst for the Central Catskills and urged the legislature to condemn, in the strongest language possible, the unprecedented attack on Belleayre Mt. by Greene County and its allies Hunter and Windham. "Wayne Speenburgh, Chairman of the Greene County Legislature, is in fact attacking Ulster County economic assets," said Kelly adding that this county should not stand for it and should take strong action to prevent it.
"Private interests in Greene County are looking for a competitive advantage by attacking Belleayre," said the long time ski center booster. The DEC is successful because they turn out a better product than Hunter or Windham. Hunter's problem is its own reputation, not Belleayre. The State is mandated by the Constitution to operate Belleayre in a manner that benefits its citizens and provides an economic catalyst for the local community. It is succeeding enormously in both."
Kelly, who had to battle in 1984 to keep Belleayre from being mothballed, sees this fight as a bigger threat than closure. "Real estate interests in Greene County are spending an incredible amount of money on this issue. They should not trump the will of the people of the State of New York and the economic interests of Ulster County. In 1987, voters all across the state reaffirmed the state's position in the ski industry by passing a constitutional amendment calling for Belleayre, Whiteface and Gore to be expanded. We're still waiting," said Kelly.
Calling on Governor Paterson to avoid signing the commission legislation, Kelly also demanded stronger action from the ski center's elected representatives. "We need a bill to protect the right of the State of New York to provide public recreation at a reasonable price for all its citizens, not just the rich," said Kelly, "and I'll fight as long as I have to, to make this happen."
Kelly, who with colleagues in the Partners for Progress group supporting Belleayre expansion, took two buses of protestors to Albany in March, said it might be time to board the buses again. "We will try to do this by mail, e-mail and phone," said Kelly.
"But if we have to take the buses to the Ulster County Legislature to get them off the dime, maybe that's what we'll do. It is baffling to us that in an election year, when tourism is being pursued all over the state as an answer to economic hard times, that Ulster County, can absorb an unprecedented attack by a neighboring county on one of its major economic engines, without reacting in any way."
People who want to contact the Governor may write to Governor Paterson at the State Capital, Albany, NY 12224, or call his office at 518-474-8390. They should ask for a veto of Senate Bill 6835b establishing a state commission to examine unfair competition in the outdoor recreation industry. To e-mail the governor, they can go the his link on the Partners for Progress website at www.supportthecompromise.com. More information on the efforts of the Coalition to Save Belleayre is available on the group's website at coalitiontosavebelleayre.org.
Contact: Joe Kelly
Djkelly2@optonline.net
516-510-6941
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