Our New Economic Stimulus Plan

Colorado is a perfect example.

Right now, the snows have come early and often in Vail, Colorado but the skiers, it seems, aren't coming:

Vail Resorts said that from the start of the season through Jan. 6, total skier visits to its five properties were off 5.8% compared with the same period a year ago, while lift-ticket revenue fell 7.5%. Bookings as of Dec. 31 are down 14.8% on a room-night basis.

Aspen, on the other hand, has an economic buffer plan. They've gotten smart and decided to turn to health care instead. It seems when times are hard and money is free-flowing from the government for health care, turn to hospital construction:

Hospital officials want to redevelop the existing 75,700-square-foot facility into a two-story building that adds another 214,395 square feet.

The expansion includes a parking garage, a rooftop heli-pad and numerous improvements to medical departments.

...

The planned expansion would be on the hospital’s largest piece of land, a 19.1-acre parcel that has a total area of 832,085 square feet. The size of the new hospital would be 290,095 square feet.

Funny how no one seems to care what this will cost. But it's all about the economy and jobs, right? Who cares how much more each and every patient will have to pay to cover the enlarged facility's overhead.

Gosh, rumor has it the contractors will even throw in a chair lift to the slopes for the visiting families, too.

-Wes