Posted on 01/28/2016 10:32:08 AM PST by Kaslin
On Jan. 14, the National Park Service announced that Yosemite's iconic Ahwahnee Hotel will become the Majestic Yosemite Hotel on March 1. A news release explained that because of a trademark dispute with outgoing concessionaire Delaware North of Buffalo, N.Y., the Wawona Hotel will become Big Trees Lodge and Curry Village will become Half Dome Village. People readily saw a case of corporate greed. At Mother Jones, Kevin Drum posted a blog with a photo of company executives and the heading: "Meet the corporate suits who claim to own the trademark to 'Yosemite National Park.'"
The next day, Drum conceded his initial take was "probably wrong." The story is less of an outrage than "a fairly pedestrian contract dispute." It turns out Delaware North does have rights to its concession's intellectual property -- including names -- because the company had to buy those intangible assets from the previous operator. The National Park Service acknowledges this fact and values these assets at $3.5 million. Delaware North wants $51 million. The matter will be settled in federal court.
In other words, this dispute is like an ugly divorce, with the park-loving public as the children. The National Park Service is ready to walk down the aisle with a new bride. It is looking to its bright future, while the soon-to-be-ex-wife wants to make sure that she gets every dime to which she feels entitled.
Delaware North paid $61.5 million for tangible and intangible assets in 1992. Unfortunately, the old deal didn't stipulate what specifics -- trademarks, logos, mailing lists -- were worth. According to government documents, the new deal doesn't require the operator, Aramark, to pay fair value for them.
National Park Service spokesman Scott Gediman acknowledged that if Aramark pays bottom dollar for Yosemite's big names, taxpayers don't benefit. Aramark does. The public didn't have a dog in this fight -- until the park service announced it was dumping historic names. It was natural for people to assume that Delaware North was messing with California's favorite national park. But as Dan Jensen, once president of Delaware North Yosemite, told me, "We've never threatened to take the names." On Jan. 2, Delaware North sent the park service a letter stipulating that Aramark could use the old hotel names royalty-free pending a court decision.
Will Delaware North abide by whatever the court decides? "It's my understanding, yes," Jensen answered, before adding he is not a lawyer.
So why did the Park Service announce the name change when two weeks earlier Delaware North essentially begged the government not to? "It was a pre-emptive move," Gediman answered. I understand why the government might think Delaware North doesn't deserve buckets of money for maintaining park property, but that's for a judge to decide. Monday, Delaware North filed a brief seeking damages for what it sees as a government attempt to "create a public outcry that would force" it to relinquish its property at a cut rate. Move over corporate greed, and make way for government overreach. The Park Service was playing the public with a gratuitous threat to benefit one side in a corporate dispute. There's still time to make up, Park Service. Keep the old names -- for the sake of the children.
The feds have NO constitution right to own this land. National Parks are feel-good federal tyranny that sooner or later doesn’t feel so good.
State land belongs to the state or individuals, not to the feds outside of specific constitutional guidelines.
California should take over ownership of Yosemite and either make it a state park or put it up for sale to private individuals. It’s up to the people of the State of California what to do with it.
Maybe they should have renamed it “Yo! Semite!”
No stereotype is expressed or implied; it just seemed to be teed-up for a bad joke, and I obliged.
National Parks are good -in spite- of the NPS. Everyone I’ve visited has been an assault on the senses. Nonstop climate change propaganda. Rules that they decide are “better for you” like no ability to get online at a hotel, or have a cell signal.
Then there are a dizzying array or rules that go beyond protection or common sense. Shuttle buses and vehicle bans that serve no useful purpose. Giant areas with no parking.
I know they need a little order and to protect it all, but imagine the worst green leftists 6 years ago who graduated with no useable degree. That is who sets the policy and runs the place. Its control freak government run wild. Sort of a highbrow version of the Pine Ridge reservation.
I recommend going to our parks. But I would get a good book about the parks, and the park you are going to that was printed in the 50s or 60s. They are everywhere at thrift stores for a trivial price.
Then just go and to the best you can ignore the propaganda.
Lol,,, classic. I also like “therapist”...”the-rapist”. Coincidentally the medical professional most likely to seduce a patient.
LOL, Rhino!
This Government overreaches every time it gets a chance. I would love to see ownership of the National Parks revert to the states in which they reside. Then, if there is a Government shutdown, the only places owned by ‘We, the People’, and ‘a casualty of the shutdown’ would be in Washington DC. No great loss there.
This is what passes for reasoned discussion these days. You can’t have a thread about planets without Uranus jokes. It isn’t like we all haven’t heard every juvenile play on words already.
Drive through The Smoky Mtn National Park. You’ll see a lot of old cabins that were stolen from their owners to make the park.
There were towns in Shenandoah parks footprint.
It’s up to the states and the people of the states to assert their constitutional state sovereignty and reclaim THEIR lands.
Ah, the prune-faced humor police nips it in the bud.
They really hate Saturday!
Humor. That's what you call that? Great analysis. Ooh, I said anal isis. That's funny! Uranus Neptune! Hahahaha! Saturdays Suck!
Sa turd ay’s are just a $h-—y way to end a week!
Didn’t say humor. I said humor police. Such tender sensibilities!
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