Kennywood sale makes fans nervous

Or equating tacos with the stuff most Americans think are tacos. ;)

The more I ponder it, the more I think that, if the park's going to be sold to a corporation, maybe it's better it is a foreign company. American companies are notoriously near-sighted, tending to focus only on the bottom line for the next quarter or two. That's why in so many industries, European and Asian companies tend to outspend their American counterparts on R&D by five to one or more. It has been suggested that companies arising from those cultures have an innate, longer view. We Americans want everything now! now! now! If true, such a company might be a little more patient to grow results from its units than the Cedar Fairs or Six Flags of the world.

One thing occurred to me. It's doubtful this deal would have been pulled off without the drastic devaluation of the U.S. dollar over the last couple years. Assuming Parque Reunidos paid $150 million (not my number), then they only spent about 95 million euros, give or take. Four years ago that same deal would have cost them roughly the same euros as dollars, as the currencies were in close parity. Yet another thing we can thank George Bush for!

I'm totally in agreement Gonch. It doesn't offend me, just annoys me. Still, considering the source is always regarded as squeaky clean, I think it was an unfortunate slip of the tongue.

*** This post was edited by Rob Ascough 12/12/2007 12:30:51 PM ***

It's one thing for Joe Rideop to have an unfortunate slip. It's quite another for the PR staff.

But, as I say, I'm not in the least bit surprised. I'm guessing 3/4 of Pittsburgh believes that tacos are the national food of Spain, and many of them wouldn't know a paella if a hot one spilled in their lap. This, despite the fact that one of the better paellas I've had in the US was in Pittsburgh:

http://www.mallorcarestaurant.com/

For everyone who commented about making a stupid statement...stop blowing it out of proportion, geez. I assume all of you, regardless of your occupation, have made a misake or two. It wasn't meant to be racist, wasn't meant to be a geographically correct, it just came out wrong. If I fired everyone for screwing up on the job, my plumber, electrician, barber, the kid who mows the yard, the letter carrier, my attorney would all be fired for being incompetent. I'd be on the list too. Would it be racism if an American bought a overseas park, and the previous PR person made a comment about turning it into a giant Burger King...no. Stop being so thin skinned and PC.

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If I fired everyone for screwing up on the job, my plumber, electrician, barber, the kid who mows the yard, the letter carrier, my attorney would all be fired for being incompetent.

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And that's exactly the problem anymore...

We expect mediocrity. :(

IMO she should be fired because if they fired Imus for his comment "nappy headed ho's" than she should be given the same treatment. I'm sure the new owners will do the right thing.

"Thin skinned" and "disappointed" are different.

But man that comment made me hungry.

Ironically, it was Imus' job to be irreverant...and hers not to be.
Just an observation.

-CO

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The way I see it, this is not about racism. It's about ignorance, plain and simple.
Her comments reinforces the opinion that many Americans simply have no clue of what the world is like outside the US.

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Agreed, she should have known better. Its her job to.

Those posts on the Post Gazette's website are how most people react when I tell them the news. They are sad, hurt and nervous about the future of the park.

That something so historical is being sold to a foreign company is sad to me, and honestly scary. The dollar is becoming weaker and weaker and US businesses are becoming cheaper and cheaper for foreign companies to buy.

"And that's exactly the problem anymore... We expect mediocrity"

No, we are just not perfect. As hard as I try to be a perfectionist on my job (and I really do try), I'm not 100% perfect.

A comment taken the WRONG WAY is not her fault, but rather it is the individual reading more into it than what is really there.

Not trying to be a smart aleck or a PIA, but I do think everyone needs to relax a little. Regarding my plumber - he really is lousy. LOL

I'd say it's a fine line, man.

I certainly wouldn't want to have surgery done by a doctor who isn't perfect.
I wouldn't want the brakes on my car fixed by someone who wasn't perfect.
I wouldn't want to fly via an airline that wasn't perfect.

I'm not a "that's why pencils have erasers" kind of guy...I use a pen. :)

Yah, but I think most people aren't taking it the wrong way. They are upset by the ignorance of someone in that position. She pretty much shedded a big chunk of credibility.

Wow! A human being! A PR person can actually be human!

I can think of a couple PR people (well one in particular, from CP in the early 90's) that was frighteningly robot like and way over too PC.

It wasn't the smartest thing to say, but I think I get what she meant. It was more in the way making fun of people that just think the place is gonna turn into taco bell.

Being a minority myself (gay) I know how I am prone to jump up and shout 'bigot' or at least know what people says comes across as homophobic... I mean, "whitetrash" is such a racist term, but its ok. Just like it's still 'ok' to poke fun at gays, etc., in an extremely heterosexist society.

The lady is human, this is a good sign! She doesn't come from the corporate school of Six Flags or Cedar Fair. Let it go guys!

Seriously...get OVER IT!

There's more important things to bitch about.

Obviously not since people are getting bothered over comments that affect them in no way, shape or form.

^^ In a backwards kind of way, the comment was refreshing. Yes, it showed a little bit of ignorance but it is nice to see a PR person that isn't reading from a textbook. I don't know her personally but I know plenty about her and I know it wasn't meant as an insult to anyone. Seriously, give it a rest. Complain about stuff that actually impacts you and not someone else... even though I have yet to hear an outcry from the Hispanic community over this.

What Mary Lou said surprised me, but didn't offend me. I just wonder how much hate mail she will get over this from people calling her a rascist or an idiot for not knowing that tacos are not a Spanish thing. I mean we DO live in the land of the easily offended. I do admit I get aggravated at times by what Americans DON'T know. For example you would be suprised how many people (adults) don't know that West Virginia and Virginia are actually TWO seperate states or that Hawaii is a state.

I agree that being in a PR park position you should expect to take responsibility for what you say which Mary Lou is MORE than capable of, but you should also expect to take some flack which she did. She apologized. It wasn't the smartest thing to say but nobody is perfect.

The local comments kind of worry me. People seem to think jobs are going to be lost which they aren't. The family isn't "taking the money and running" as one person commented in the article.

-Tina

^Oops, where did my screen name go? :) Strange.

Of course we expect mediocrity, Gonch. Even our pets learn to *expect* that which they see all around them everyday....and my cat has hair for brains! :)

Tina, you have to remember the local context: the Japanese steel industry basically ground Pittsburgh into nothingness, and it took nearly 20 years for the city to recover. In some ways, it still hasn't. These folks have a long and profoundly negative history when it comes to the global marketplace.