Hot off the presses.... Bloomberg article on Sherpagate

[alt12]

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/ ... t-festival

[The Rod]

You can see Embrace burning in that aerial shot of the city... That's kind of neat.

[trilobyte]

That would have been a really great article 2-3 months ago, when it was all newsy and topical.

[tamarakay]

I agree Trilo. They seem a bit late to the party.

[Lonesomebri]

Yeah, this kind of information would have been so readily more embraced by a receptive audience months ago.....

Ya know, like all the appreciation given everyone who did state this type of info months ago......

[FlyingMonkey]

I guess my biggest problem with all this is that 1 person had the ability to control so many tickets & then essentially sell them for so much money. (how is that not scalping?????). I guess a blind eye goes a long way. If you or I tried this & got caught our tickets would end up on the invalid list.

While this seems to be fully endorsed by the founders. It really makes me feel stupid for believing in the principals & especially spending $875 on a pre-sale ticket & vehicle pass. I mean, if Larry & the Burning elite knowingly let this happen then it's all a farce & we're suckers.

That's not to say that us believing in all that & making Burning Man what it is & making our own burn is anyway diminished. To be truthful, If the rich folks only hung out in the safety of their private camps then they weren't really at Burning Man and may have just as well been in Vegas.

I think Larry had a vision & once believed in all that is/was Burning Man, but I suspect that he has been consumed buy his ego & celebrity status. Too bad, I kind of admired the Larry from 20+ years ago. I guess he is normal in that respect.

The whole Sherpagate situation is unfortunate, but the workers were paid, & I feel a little naïve if they thought working as servants for a bunch of rich people would have turned out any different.

I guess a little of the magic is gone & the Playa seems a little more like the default world.

Personally, I'm hoping that global climate change throws a little ugly our way for a few years. I'm ready for it. But I suspect someone expecting A/C, chilled grapes plucked for them by servants, & having their every need catered may not like it as much.

And as stated this is no NEWS FLASH, but it still makes me throw up in my mouth a little.

[lucky420]

Well almost all of Nevada has been declared a disaster zone because of the drought. So there is that.

[The Rod]

Yeah, this kind of information would have been so readily more embraced by a receptive audience months ago.....

Ya know, like all the appreciation given everyone who did state this type of info months ago......

Fucking A....



Yeah.... Maybe they're a little late to the party on this one, for us. We've hashed it over and fucking over but you know who hasn't? The rich guys who read Bloomberg and are probably deciding whether or not to pay $17,000 for a scalped ticket and mistress' of merriment to pamper their pampered asses. I'm glad that it's being picked up on more mainstreamy type news outlets. And I'm glad that the conversation is staying relevant because even if Trilo is tired of hearing about it, the fact remains that the founders are sellouts, and they don't give a shit about how it effects the event or the participants who build the event and the community that surrounds it.

It's not like it's been resolved, or the issue has gone away or anything. I sure hope people keep fucking talking about it. especially now that the kook-aid drinkers are sick of the rabble being roused.

[FlyingMonkey]

Yeah, this kind of information would have been so readily more embraced by a receptive audience months ago.....

Ya know, like all the appreciation given everyone who did state this type of info months ago......

Fucking A....



Yeah.... Maybe they're a little late to the party on this one, for us. We've hashed it over and fucking over but you know who hasn't? The rich guys who read Bloomberg and are probably deciding whether or not to pay $17,000 for a scalped ticket and mistress' of merriment to pamper their pampered asses. I'm glad that it's being picked up on more mainstreamy type news outlets. And I'm glad that the conversation is staying relevant because even if Trilo is tired of hearing about it, the fact remains that the founders are sellouts, and they don't give a shit about how it effects the event or the participants who build the event and the community that surrounds it.


It's not like it's been resolved, or the issue has gone away or anything. I sure hope people keep fucking talking about it. especially now that the kook-aid drinkers are sick of the rabble being roused.

+1000

[digital]

+1000

Squared. I thought it was an excellent article.

Snark because it doesn't happen on *their* timeline. lol

[Simon of the Playa]

the founders are sellouts,

i'm going to take exception with this.

yes, that's right.


i think if you read about the most recent financial release you will realize that the "Big Six" probably did the most ethical and least greedy thing they could do.

they didnt reap huge financial rewards.

nobody is getting rich....far from it.

all the BS from that "Other" site was just that, Bullshit....

Larry & Danger and Will and Crimson and Harley and Marian...yes, they are People, actual humans, did not lavishly reward themselves for all of their hard work.

and they could have.

anyway....This Issue is Bigger than Burning Man....i said that from the start, WHEN I WAS THE VOICE IN THE WILDERNESS....Remember?


let us not Cast Stones in Judgement.

Instead, let's change things....for the better....

onward, and damn the torpedos...

[Elorrum]

[media]

I guess this is how it goes when they choose to change the world. I kind of liked it being a thing for those who already got it, but oh well.

[The Rod]

Notable exception Simon. In my fury typing the above response I had forgotten about the recently released financial information. The founders have not sold out in the sense that they made a million bucks off the event. I stand partially corrected.

However I say partial because selling out isn't always about the money. It's about morals, principles and values. When you let principles slide because of ego, that's selling out. The weasels response the scandal was half apology and half excuse.

Tanenbaum however, is a fucking sell out.

[pink]

They may not have gotten a million cash, but they did get a million dollar charitable deduction. I'm interested to see what the salaries are, but we have to wait a year for that. And BMP will be paying travel expenses to spread the culture for all. .

[Bless]

IT'S ALL A FARCE AND YOU'RE ALL SUCKERS!

[Simon of the Playa]

No silly, thats the theme..

[Bless]

I really can't stand Outtrim. He bitches and moans constantly about rich people when he himself is filthy rich. Does he even attend the event any more?

And then he feels self-important enough to blast off to Bloomberg like he's some burner expert. He's not an expert, he's a fucking arrogant hater. He needs to get a life. If you don't like TTITD, then why do you spend so much energy and time blogging about it?

[The Rod]

Not trying to jump to anyone's defense here, but I'd bet that Outtrim doesn't hate rich people. And I'd also wager that he has opposite feelings about TTITD than Bless would assume. Looks to me like he loves burning man... With a passion, and its that same passion that motivates his highly emotional and controversial blog.

I don't always agree with what he says or the ways he goes about expressing himself, but I do appreciate the malcontents and the rabble rousers of the world. It's refreshing to see people fighting for what they love for a change, even if they break a few dishes in the kitchen.

[Simon of the Playa]

for once i am going to have to agree 100% with Bless.

i am going to refrain from posting my opinion of the person mentioned above...

you know....if you don't have anything nice to say , don't say anything at all...


i have nothing at all, to say about Steve Outtrim.

[Lonesomebri]

From the article-

For his part, Harvey, who personally invited Grover Norquist last year, continues to see the arrival of the ultrawealthy as a good thing for Burning Man. “I want to convince people that it isn’t as if the 1 Percent represents an evil bacillus that like Ebola will sweep through our city,” he says. “That’s not possible. Much of the anger is because of a feeling of impotency. The whole issue of the 1 Percent has been a matter of public discourse for some time now, and nothing has changed. People are frustrated. ... My mission is to reform the 1 Percent.”

I will assume that Grover Norquist is volunteering at the food bank or homeless shelter this weekend. Either that, or I'll let Larry speak for his own purpose and success. If Grover is still trying to make a system where rich people pay no taxes....well.....if you believe him, thank Larry.

[digital]

If Grover is still trying to make a system where rich people pay no taxes....well.....if you believe him, thank Larry.

Sheesh, you skew things worse than Fox News.

His organization, Americans for Tax Reform, aims to reduce taxes for ALL people... Not just the rich. Reducing taxes and government spending directly benefits all taxpayers. Similar to the direct benefit of lower gas prices.

Oh, but that's right, you're the commie who would rather all income go to the government -- cause that works so well.

[Elderberry]

If Grover is still trying to make a system where rich people pay no taxes....well.....if you believe him, thank Larry.

Sheesh, you skew things worse than Fox News.

His organization, Americans for Tax Reform, aims to reduce taxes for ALL people... Not just the rich. Reducing taxes and government spending directly benefits all taxpayers. Similar to the direct benefit of lower gas prices.

Oh, but that's right, you're the commie who would rather all income go to the government -- cause that works so well.

Actually, it does work, quite well. This country became what it was when the highest tax bracket was north of 90%. Foolishly thinking that you can continue to make the kinds of cuts that are being made today, and still be able to afford first world amenities like roads, bridges, affordable higher education, research, clean water, social and veterans programs, etc. Is what seems to be hurting the country. Just look at Sam Brownback. The best example of proving that trickle down does not work.

[digital]

Tax reform =/= Trickle down

The goal of Americans for Tax Reform is to simplify the tax code and stop an increase in taxes. That's all. I suggest taking a look at the mission statement: http://www.atr.org/about

We can have a lengthy discussion on tax issues / Communism v Capitalism but it probably isn't appropriate for this thread. Bottom line: It isn't something just for the rich. It's for all Americans. Fixing things by taxing folks 90% and allowing the government to redistribute wealth seems highly irrational -- to me.

[some seeing eye]

Hahaha, major thread drift! Grover is an opportunistic business man taking money from people that have money to make more for them. All the justification and morality is just to make money. Sound familiar?

Grover will not change the world into a BM utopia, his buddies either. But they might be cash cows for the business of the event. BM is democratic so some Grover BM supporters for sure. Not me. Whatever.

BTW, I don't think Bloomberg is a 1%-Tpty news outlet like WSJ, or other fringe media. It is more like Reuters & the BBC, relatively objective. But I think it's more important to get Michael Bloomberg to the event than Grover.

[Simon of the Playa]

same old story...

[GreyCoyote]

If Larry wanted to spread the word about Burningman, then love it or hate it, I'd say the Bloomberg piece was a pretty good start.

[Lonesomebri]

...Oh, but that's right, you're the commie who would rather all income go to the government -- cause that works so well.

Yep, you got this whole issue pegged, just like Grover is trying to help us all............
...with the money I saved thanks to the tax reform, I am going to pave my street and fight ISIS. How about you?

[digital]

Since when are streets funded by income tax? I always thought transportation funds came from a mix of local taxes and private developers. Oh wait, you mean highways...

And ISIS? Yay thread drift!

[some seeing eye]

In a libertarian view, those who feel threatened by ISIS would fund a private army to fight them and all roads would be private toll roads. In fact we have a mishmashmashup with libertarian and free enterprise arguments to make the cash flow to the advantage of the organizers. Now we could get into a discussion of how the BRCCP would redo the budget and ticketing...

(I'm a liberal not a libertarian and I think ISIS is a paper tiger that should be the exclusive respon$ibility of the Saudi's to deal with)

[alt12]

I really can't stand Outtrim. He bitches and moans constantly about rich people when he himself is filthy rich. Does he even attend the event any more?

And then he feels self-important enough to blast off to Bloomberg like he's some burner expert. He's not an expert, he's a fucking arrogant hater. He needs to get a life. If you don't like TTITD, then why do you spend so much energy and time blogging about it?

For the record, the journalist contacted Outtrim not the other way around. Like it or not, he became part of the story once Danger Ranger 'outed him. Personally, I can't stand the guy either. He's a self-important narcissistic douchebag and the kind of guy I avoid like the plague in real life and at BM. That being said, his whiny bitching muckraking does serve a purpose and I do appreciate that.

Bloomberg picked up the piece for the same reason there is so much outrage in the BM community on it: it highlights and reflects the major class divisions and economic inequality that have become quite evident over the last generation, and appear to be getting worse. The irony is that even at a supposedly/formerly counter-cultural event that bans commerce and was started by artists and culture-jammers, this shit has seeped in. It just shows how pervasive it is in American culture.