Cannon Mountain Planning to Take Millions More from Taxpayers - Granite Grok

Cannon Mountain Planning to Take Millions More from Taxpayers

Cannon Mountain Logo

Cannon Mountain is at it again. They’re not just feeding at the trough, they’re licking the plate!

Cannon Mountain is the only state-owned and operated ski area in New England. Yes, even Massachusetts figured out years ago that state government shouldn’t be in the ski business!

Cannon has a fairly simple business model: Take millions for taxpayers, buy fanatical political support with free and discounted skiing, and keep the local liberals happy (to that point, Cannon is one of the last ski areas in the Northeast still policing face masks!).

Over the years, Cannon has taken millions of dollars from the state general fund, as well as all of the money from the Mt. Sunapee lease (you know, the millions of dollars that were supposed to address deferred maintenance across the park system?).


We want to thank Rick Henry for this Op-Ed.
Please direct yours to Editor@GraniteGrok.com.


Simply put, Cannon cannot exist without huge taxpayer subsidies. Yet, Cannon’s state management claims it is a “self-funded, self-managed, state-owned success story.”

Hold onto your wallet, they’re coming for more!

Cannon is now looking for up to $30 million to overhaul or replace its aerial tramway. Yes, $30 million for the lift that operates two days a week during ski season. Yes, $30 million for the lift that is so critical that it can be closed for the better part of two years for construction. Yes, $30 million for the lift that packs people like sardines into a small enclosed space (remember when social distancing was a thing?), yet has the lowest uphill capacity of any major lift around. And no, there’s not a chance the project will go over budget.

At the public comment session last week (No mask? You can’t attend!), locals gave unanimous support for the project. After all, it’s somebody else’s money!

You can submit your comments by March 1 to nhparks@dncr.nh.gov. You can let your legislators know too!

 

 

>