I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream For Ice Cream. The organizers of the famous Burning Man festival in the Nevada desert have been faced with a bizarre demand from U.S. land managers that the counterculture event supply special lodging, ice cream and other amenities to their staff working at the event. This includes 24-hour access to Chobani Greek Yogurt and a standalone freezer with Drumstick and Choco Taco ice cream for members of the United States Bureau of Land Management. The federal agencies have been steadily tacking on costs on the events and increasing the fees from $1 million in 2011 to an anticipated $5 million this year. The special compound for federal employees have been estimated to cost as much as $1 million.
Members of Congress have complained in letters that the demands are excessive and self-serving. Burning Man is now a major attraction for state businesses, bringing 70,000 people to the Black Rock Desert in northern Nevada — with an estimated $35 million to the local economy each year.
The Bureau also demanded a so-called Blue Pit lodging facility that would have restroom trailers with flushable toilets, a washer and dryer room for laundry, and what have been called VIP accommodations in so-called “container apartment” units.
U.S. Representative Mark Amodei, a Republican representing the district, called the demands “the Black Rock Desert version of the Four Seasons hotel.” The Bureau has not responded.
doctoryes:
If you’re going to keep giving me “news flashes” you need to at least do a credible impression of Walter Cronkite.
I wasn’t complaining about Burning Man’s non-profit status, although I was making fun of it a bit. I don’t know enough about the event either way to determine if it is a legitimate use of non-profit status.
I don’t know why this is shocking, but a great many fiscal conservatives greatly enjoy art and culture.
I agree with Professor Turley that the demands seem unreasonable.
Karen
Look up Art and Culture. Maybe they will provide you with the clues as to why they were granted 501c3 status.
Don’t bit*h at me about it. I had nothing to do with it. I’d revoke about 90% of this 501c3, 4, 5, 6, bulls**t tax break. And yeah, I’d start with all the Tea Party Political Election Committees.
Has anyone seen doctoryes and Lois Lerner at the same time?
Karen
Another News Flash
‘Recession’ does not measure employment.
I count you among the extreme right wing here and think it a silly exercise to engage in your oft repeated political hack rants.
Go tangle with somebody else who is more of a masochist than I.
doctoryes –
You will notice the use of the word employment.
http://www.frbsf.org/education/publications/doctor-econ/2007/february/recession-depression-difference
Well, oops. My turn to forget to close the bold command. I just learned the power of formatting, and with great power comes great editing responsibility. 🙂
The Van Halen anecdote was cool.
DBQ – First consume the cocktails and then describe a 501-c 5!
doctoryes: How does nurturing a more creative and connected experience and “the distinctive culture emerging from that experience” qualify for a nonprofit more than, say, riding the subway in New York with people singing for dollars and a melting pot of different cultures?
I found this on their website:
“Burning Man provides infrastructural tools and frameworks to support local communities in applying the Ten Principles through six interconnected program areas, including Arts, Civic Involvement, Culture, Education, Philosophical Center and Social Enterprise.”
It just sounds kind of like an artistic rave or a groovy campout of interpretive dance and performance artists.