Thursday, August 25, 2011

Hey, Mr. Hahn!...Show Us The Proof That Your Ballooning Deficit Is Due To Tourists

AllTheFact-FreeFalderalAndFiddleDeeDeeThatFits
FerryVille


So....

BC Ferries CEO, and Million Dollar Man, Mr. David Hahn says his rising deficit is not being driven by his sky-high ticket and 'reservation' prices that British Columbia residents will no longer pay.

Instead, he says that is massive decrease in ridership that is reducing his revenue has been caused, at least in part, by the fact that American tourist traffic is way down.

The following is from the CBC's report on the matter, but this kind of stenography can be found at pretty much any and all of the CorpMedia organ grinder monkey sites:

"...On Wednesday BC Ferries CEO David Hahn announced the provincially run corporation is looking at cutting the extra Friday and Sunday sailings on major routes during the off season to meet a forecast $35 million budget deficit this year.

Hahn says passenger trips have dropped to a 20-year low and vehicle traffic has dropped to an 11-year low. He blames the drop on rising fuel costs, a slow economy and a strong Canadian dollar that's keeping tourists away this summer...."


To which I say to Mr. Hahn.....

Prove it.

Right now.



How?

Release the data to your shareholders that your shareholders can no longer request by FOI because you are a so-called 'private' company.

Specifically, show us the data pertaining to where, exactly, the people who made reservations in the summers of, say 2009, 2010 and 2011 reside.

And if there is not a disproportionate drop in folks from the Excited States making reservations Mr. Hahn he might have some 'xplainin' to do.

But only, of course, if at least one of the CorpMedia scribes could actually put down their steno-pads long enough to ask a real question or two.


________
Harvey Oberfeld, who was never a stenographer back when he worked for the old-style CorpMedia, has more to say about this matter here.


.

9 comments:

West End Bob said...

To News 1130's credit today, they would run an interview with local tour operators stating how their USian business was WAY up this year over last immediately after the BC Ferries news release.

Good on 'em . . . .

(Betcha CKNW didn't do the same, although I wouldn't know as the "Bob"cott of 'em is still on, RossK . . . .)

Grant G said...

I think you better read this Ross...


http://www.theprovince.com/Ferries+boss+against+frills+service/5308915/story.html


Hahn speaks, but listen very carefully and you can hear Hahn`s arms flailing around like a .....

Like a Clucking chicken with arms, when will we get the dog are his portfolio excuse!

North Van's Grumps said...

What next? Will Hahn be asking Christy Clark to cut the Senior MSP Gold Card ferry freebie Monday to Thursday? I've waited twenty-five years for this "benefit" to happen, and I've used it once for one Return trip.

Maybe its time that the grey powered voters should be flexing their Gold Cards, maybe not to help out BC Ferries, but the communities that BC Ferries are supposed to be servicing as part of the Highway system.

Anonymous said...

How can a company be both private and provincially-run at the same time? You get to keep all profit, hide real information about your finances, and go crying to the government whenever you don't make as much money as you did last year?

Gary E said...

Can't help but notice that the benchmark Hahn uses is dipping into the NDP era. Maybe he'll give us the percentages of just herr Campbells' era.

RossK said...

Great point Gary.

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Anonymous said...

Does Harvey Oberfeld's article provide the foundation to dump Hahn for cause?

"We were told in March was going to be $20-million is now nearly double that, at $35-million." - NDP MLA and ferry critic Gary Coons, The Dlobe and Mail, August 24, 2011.

"Washington State Ferries planning director Ray Deardorf noted that Washington’s system wide ridership for the summer is up one per cent compared to last year; and on the one route that serves the same market as B.C. Ferries, out of Sidney B.C., ridership is up 10.5 per cent." - Sam Cooper, The Province, August 26, 2011.

RossK said...

Anon-Above--

Excellent points and supposition, but we are not talking about rational people here.

After all, these are LINO's in sheeps' clothing who, paraphrasing, essentially always like to say...

"Causes?

We* Don't Need No Stinkin' Causes!"


(see, BC Place Roof, for example...or even German-built Ferries)

Gary E said...

German built Ferries that are apparently putting in as much time as the fast cats