Gunstock Management team resigns

[MadPadraic]

And that lawsuit would go absolutely nowhere… They’re jerks but nothing they’ve said matches the legal standard for defamation.

Very true. It may be very unappealing what the commission has done to date, but it has all been within their legal confines.

The whole pressuring the Gunstock to buy your software while you are an acting commissioner is very gross. A news report indicates that a second law firm that gave him the all clear determined it wasn't necessary to interview any witnesses.

 

[Edd]

Taking it up a notch here:

County Commissioners demand resignation of Ness, Strang, ask AG to investigate

GILFORD — The Belknap County Board of Commissioners released a statement calling on the immediate resignation of Gunstock Area Commissioners Peter Ness and David Strang. The board also wrote a

www.laconiadailysun.com

 

[machski]

Taking it up a notch here:

County Commissioners demand resignation of Ness, Strang, ask AG to investigate

GILFORD — The Belknap County Board of Commissioners released a statement calling on the immediate resignation of Gunstock Area Commissioners Peter Ness and David Strang. The board also wrote a

www.laconiadailysun.com

This should move the needle on these two, time will tell.

 

[machski]

Fudging numbers and using it to criticize employee performance is legal?

I am unaware of the second "audit" being released indicating any discrepancy between the legit audit and this. Obviously if there indeed turns out to be a huge swing in the second ordered by the two loonies, then a case may be forthcoming. But so far, all I have heard is one saying the second audit would be damning (including I believe of the Governor, which I can't see how). That in and of itself is not enough to charge or win a defamation case.

 

[deadheadskier]

I am unaware of the second "audit" being released indicating any discrepancy between the legit audit and this. Obviously if there indeed turns out to be a huge swing in the second ordered by the two loonies, then a case may be forthcoming. But so far, all I have heard is one saying the second audit would be damning (including I believe of the Governor, which I can't see how). That in and of itself is not enough to charge or win a defamation case.

Well that's my point. They keep mentioning the "damning truth" that will be revealed with their audit showing improper behavior by senior leadership, the former commissioner and the governor.

It's reminiscent of Powell and Giuliani claiming they had evidence against Dominion voting machines. Both Powell and Giuliani are facing lawsuits over those claims and both likely should lose their shirts for the BS. I feel the same about Silber, Strange and Ness with their claims here.

 

[thetrailboss]

It's reminiscent of Powell and Giuliani claiming they had evidence against Dominion voting machines. Both Powell and Giuliani are facing lawsuits over those claims and both likely should lose their shirts for the BS. I feel the same about Silber, Strange and Ness with their claims here.

This. Not to stray into politics, but some folks learned from Trump that one can say whatever the hell they want and suffer NO consequences and not be held accountable. I think that Strang and Ness are about to find out that there is still accountability in public office.

 

[drjeff]

This. Not to stray into politics, but some folks learned from Trump that one can say whatever the hell they want and suffer NO consequences and not be held accountable. I think that Strang and Ness are about to find out that there is still accountability in public office.

Please don't tell me you think this is just an issue of the Right. Both sides do it WAY too frequently these days, and short of a little blow back on social media, there are almost no consequences. Heck, how many times did Adam Schiff say during his role in the Trump impeachment hearings that he had essentially the smoking gun connecting Pres Trump to Russian collusion, all to never deliver anything and then have the Mueller Commission Report say that there wasn't any evidence of it all along? And the January 6th essentailly made for TV drama being produced by a TV show producer, without anyone "testifying" being subject to cross examination. Politicians, especially the higher up they go, are often nothing more than megalomaniacs looking to essentailly prostitute themselves out to whatever donor group will give them $$ for their next campaign cycle, with the good of the country be damned in favor of their caucus. This system is in need of MAJOR reforms

All to often the age old adage of "How do you know a politcian is lying? Their mouth is moving" proves true, Whether one based on their own ideological preferences thinks that one side does it more than the other, is an entirely different story,

These guys in the Gunstock situation are seemingly ideological crummudgeons who need to resign ASAP since they have lost whatever trust they had of the vast majority of their constituents from what it seems like, and are just too stubborn to own their wrong views and/or personal grudges that may be in play on this issue

 

[ThatGuy]

As Harry Truman said…
“Show me a man who gets rich from being a politician, and I’ll show you a crook”

If people could realize the ones running the show on either side of the aisle couldn’t care less about the interest of the majority of America we’d be in a much better position. I’m sure there’s idealists on the Left and Right who want the best for their constituents but the system is shaped in a way as to not let them get very far into the machinations of politics.
Also don’t think TB was trying to get political or condemn a side, just was using a pertinent example of people in power having no repercussions for their lies.

 

[ThatGuy]

This whole situation also highlights why local politics are extremely important and if apathetic at that level how can one hope for systematic changes in the country.

 

[urungus]

how many times did Adam Schiff say during his role in the Trump impeachment hearings that he had essentially the smoking gun connecting Pres Trump to Russian collusion, all to never deliver anything and then have the Mueller Commission Report say that there wasn't any evidence of it all along?

Mueller report found plenty of collusion & obstruction

These 11 Mueller Report Myths Just Won’t Die

Here's why they're wrong

time.com

 

[thetrailboss]

Please don't tell me you think this is just an issue of the Right. Both sides do it WAY too frequently these days, and short of a little blow back on social media, there are almost no consequences. Heck, how many times did Adam Schiff say during his role in the Trump impeachment hearings that he had essentially the smoking gun connecting Pres Trump to Russian collusion, all to never deliver anything and then have the Mueller Commission Report say that there wasn't any evidence of it all along? And the January 6th essentailly made for TV drama being produced by a TV show producer, without anyone "testifying" being subject to cross examination. Politicians, especially the higher up they go, are often nothing more than megalomaniacs looking to essentailly prostitute themselves out to whatever donor group will give them $$ for their next campaign cycle, with the good of the country be damned in favor of their caucus. This system is in need of MAJOR reforms

Not at all what I am saying. My comment about accountability applies to anyone in power.

These guys in the Gunstock situation are seemingly ideological crummudgeons who need to resign ASAP since they have lost whatever trust they had of the vast majority of their constituents from what it seems like, and are just too stubborn to own their wrong views and/or personal grudges that may be in play on this issue

Right.

 

[Edd]

Date set to consider the removal of Ness and Strang.

County Delegation to meet Aug. 4 to consider removing 2 Gunstock commissioners

GILFORD — A majority of the county delegation called for an emergency meeting to consider calls for removal of Gunstock Area Commissioners Peter Ness and David Strang. The request was

www.laconiadailysun.com

 

[deadheadskier]

Plot thickens

Sylvia accusing Day of donating Gunstock monies to the Sununu campaign

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1552408974670135303

 

[cdskier]

Plot thickens

Sylvia accusing Day of donating Gunstock monies to the Sununu campaign

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1552408974670135303

Not that I'm saying the money to Sununu was right (I'd like to hear an explanation for it as there could be a logical explanation other than an actual "donation"), but is $500 from 2 years ago really the only item Sylvia has to condemn Day over? Meanwhile how much money has the county lost due to Gunstock being shut down due to this nonsense?

 

[Bostonian]

Plot thickens

Sylvia accusing Day of donating Gunstock monies to the Sununu campaign

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1552408974670135303

Even though I am a lefty fire breathing Dem, who abhors the republicans (and yes Charlie Baker is responsible for the MBTA's demise - I worked there when he fucked it up by puting his little Harvard Kennedy School pukes in there), as a former auditor - the issue here is materiality. A one time $500 contribution from the GAC funds, endorsed by Tom Day to Sununu isn't material, and would be identified as an audit exception. The request would be to repay the moneys back to the GAC, and request the donation refunded. Simple as that. Tom as far as I am concerned did no wrong. I don't like the guy's politics... but he did everything right as far as I am concerned with the management of the mountain last season.

 

[deadheadskier]

Not that I'm saying the money to Sununu was right (I'd like to hear an explanation for it as there could be a logical explanation other than an actual "donation"), but is $500 from 2 years ago really the only item Sylvia has to condemn Day over? Meanwhile how much money has the county lost due to Gunstock being shut down due to this nonsense?

I don't know if there's any more too this besides the campaign donation. I can see this upsetting certain people; especially those at odds with Sununu.

 

[cdskier]

I don't know if there's any more too this besides the campaign donation. I can see this upsetting certain people; especially those at odds with Sununu.

Someone had an interesting theory on twitter...perhaps Sununu's group had a scheduled event at Gunstock that was then cancelled for some reason and this was a refund of their deposit on the event. Doubtful, but still does show there could be other explanations.

Various other questions too though...such as:
Wouldn't this have been picked up in last year's audit if this was a check from 2020? Although I guess this also depends a bit on the timing of their actual Fiscal year as well.
As Bostonian pointed out, this isn't a major issue even if it was a contribution. So why is Sylvia making it sound like this is a smoking gun?
If it is a contribution, is it even an actual problem for GAC to have made this? In looking at the enabling statute for the GAC, it seems to give the GAC authority to both make and receive donations as they see fit if it somehow helps Gunstock.

 

[thetrailboss]

Someone had an interesting theory on twitter...perhaps Sununu's group had a scheduled event at Gunstock that was then cancelled for some reason and this was a refund of their deposit on the event. Doubtful, but still does show there could be other explanations.

Various other questions too though...such as:
Wouldn't this have been picked up in last year's audit if this was a check from 2020? Although I guess this also depends a bit on the timing of their actual Fiscal year as well.
As Bostonian pointed out, this isn't a major issue even if it was a contribution. So why is Sylvia making it sound like this is a smoking gun?
If it is a contribution, is it even an actual problem for GAC to have made this? In looking at the enabling statute for the GAC, it seems to give the GAC authority to both make and receive donations as they see fit if it somehow helps Gunstock.

I think that there is more to this story than Sylvia is admitting. As you said, either a returned deposit or a completely legal and customary form of “protected speech” by a constituent business to a PAC.

The fact that this comes out after the public BLASTS the GAC and the Belknap Commission makes it even more suspect.

The hilarious thing is that the politicians involved are IN THE SAME DAMN POLITICAL PARTY. Sylvia better not need any help from the Governor. He’s screwed himself politically with his own party.

 

[MadPadraic]

Eh, I'm going to disagree with the prevailing sentiment on this board: a government body donating to a political campaign for an elected official is very inappropriate. To my fellow liberals: remember how upset we all were when Trump blatantly violated the Hatch Act during the 2020 Republican convention? Remember the justified outrage at Secretary Pompeo used public funds to travel to Israel for a campaign speech?

That being said, based on what we've seen from Sylvia and Ness, it appears very likely that there is more to the story. I won't be the least bit surprised if a valid explanation surfaces.

 

[drjeff]

Maybe it *could* as simple as the Governor and his family obviously have very strong ties to the ski industry. The powers that be at Gunstock obviously want the ski industry to be continued to be viewed favorably by the NH State gov't. Making a relatively nominal contribution to the Governor's campaign helps keep them on the radar.

Heck, in my past time in the world of dental politics, our state organization made countless campaign contributions to various state and federal legislators often whom we didn't see eye to eye on the majority of issues, but those legislators happened to be on a committee who had the ability to approve or deny some potential legislation and/or unelected regulatory committee's recommendations that we either would or wouldn't want to see go into effect, so we played along with what politics unfortunately all too often is these days, a system where you "pay" via campaign contributions to "buy" access to the legislator you want to get to do something for you. The only real variable is are you trying to influence a town level person where even a $50 campaign contribution might be enough to get their ear or a state, where maybe it's $500 or a national where it may be $1000 or more bundled together.

Essentially all legislators these days do this. Frankly it is disgusting. And if more people got the idea that their own preferred legislator does this just as much as the other legislators whom they don't ideologically like, then maybe we'd see the public demand true reforms such as term limits and try and remember that our legislators work for us, not that they're some deity for whom we should bow down to and beg for their attention