ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL YEAR, SAYS LDN ABOUT CITY MARINA........................LOL.

[AQUAMAN]

SO, WHAT'S YOUR DEFINITION OF SUCCESSFUL IN A BUSINESS VENTURE????????????? THE RECENT 2010 STATISTICS FROM THE LUDINGTON MUNICIPAL MARINA PROCLAIM THAT THEY HAD MORE BOATS THAT 2009 FOR TRANSIENT DOCKAGE, AND FUEL PURCHASES. THEN AGAIN, THEY ACTUALLY POSTED A LOSS OF OVER $221,000, THAT'S ROUNDED OFF TO A QUARTER OF A MILLION DOLLARS AS FAR AS I AM CONCERNED. (ISN'T THIS THE FOURTH YEAR IN A ROW OF THIS KIND OF SUCCESS)???  IS THIS THE NEW IMPROVED MODIFIED GROOVY VERSION OF A PROFIT?????????? YOUR CHOICE, THE LDN THINKS SO, AND HAS GONE ALONG WITH THE CITY'S VERSION OF THE STORY...............YOU CALL THAT ACCURATE AND FAIR REPORTING??????????? IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR, AND IN COLLEGE, YOU ARE TAUGHT THAT A PROFIT IS SUCCESSFUL, NOT A LOSSSSSSS...................OOOOOOLOL. DIDN'T THIS NEWSPAPER EARN SOME AWARDS FOR BEING SO ACCURATE AND MEANINGFUL THE LAST FEW YEARS.............GOTTA WONDER ABOUT THOSE JUDGES..........OR DO WE????????

[AQUAMAN]

As time goes on, and the more I read the LDN, I feel like they are just a sounding board and puppet for the city government. They never take issue with any stands, and pronounce articles like this as if this is a good business statement. They also only offer a scant bit of information usually, and it's always one-sided, never really investigating the entire facts out there. Sad, could do alot better. Lazy newspapermen/women imho.

[Edie Lindsey]

This article made me feel good all over.  Does it seem odd to anyone that they release this rosy report to the LDN a few months after denying our network's creator to inspect the marina's annual financial reports of the last three years through an FOIA request?   Hess and Goehring would be proud of this malarkey.  Pure propaganda.

[XLFD]

It's called spin, and yes, the LDN likes what it sees with what City Hall is doing. 

I was taking a look at the marina all summer, and yes, there were some days where they actually had the new transient docks being used, but over 50% of the time there was no boat (besides the fireboat) when I strolled by during the daytime.  At night, the ten new streetlights illuminating the area cost a lot more to maintain than the transient boat docks (at $5 per day for boaters) made all summer. 

Aquaman was the first I know of who publicly noticed the lousy 'business' decision this marina 'improvement' was.  When you invest a lot of $$$, you should be able to recoup your expenses in a few years, but with optimistic projections this will not reach that point for over fifty years-- realistically, probably never.  The DNR and our City put up nearly a half of a million dollars each to modify the City Marina, and this article is the City's way of trying to justify the expense to those who actually take the LDN, and our City Manager, seriously. 

[AQUAMAN]

In the private sector, if you were to seek a loan for a $900,000 improvement to your business, showing the books to your bank that you are currently losing big time money, and the economy is currently and projected to stay in the dumpster for the next several years, how would any normal banker react? With total enthusiasm and give you the loan? Or would he suggest you put this ludicrous thinking off for several years until you are showing a big profit and economic conditions get favorable again? The majority of the Municipal Marina's customers, like many others in the same trade, is made up of mostly working people that are middle income. With all the uncertainty and lost jobs in Michigan in recent years, not layoffs, but downsizing and permanent job terminations, how could anyone expect the luxury sport of boating and fishing not to be adversely affected? It was a badly timed and thought out idea when announced, and still is today, as evidenced by the vacancy throughout the season, and the loss of profits to the marina and the public at large that have much needier projects not being financed.