Tennis anyone?

Just when you think the PUSD Board can't get anymore stupid than they seem so far, reality comes with a big fat half rotted rough sawn 2"x4" and hits you straight across the cheek. There I was, basking in the glory of private life, of finishing a long half painted oil painting and drilling out the backing plates on my rare Quadbeck model T aftermarket brakes, and someone has to make a midninght document delivery on my patio. Wonder how they got past my new gate without making a sound. Clever activist.

SO I awaken to a manilla envelope with a MOU between the Pasadena Unified School District, the City of Pasadena, and the Altadena Town and Country Club. Lotsa leagalese and bullshit. As I am brewing my morning dose of Motor-Head Coffee I read. I plunge the French Press, swear, and drink down a quarter cup before I re read, thinking I must have misunderstood......

I did misunderstand. it was worse than I thought. Seems the Altadena Town and Country Club is seeking exclusive non school hour use of the publically owned tennis courts Eliot Junior High School. SO... I get a piece of paper, pull out my Farmers Almanac, and I begin to figure out how many hours are available after school, on weekends, in the summer and during Christmas and Easter break for the ATCC to use. Then multiply by 3 (the number of courts to be used exclusively) Hmmmm almost eight thousand hours over a five year period. SO off to the computer I run to figure out what does a tennis court rent for by the hour? Municipal Courts tend to rent for about $12 an hour, Private Courts about $50 an hour....SO the FAIR MARKET VALUE of the lease is worth between a million and four million someplace. The ATCC is willing to pay "up to $50,000" including their insurence coverage. This amount to be for the repair and improvement of the courts, no money ios to be paid to the citizens as a lease for their land and property.

Does that sound like a fair deal? Deprive the public of the use of an asset and pay between 1 1/2 to 5% of the market value?

Aside from the horrible economics of this contract, there are some other considerations such as :

Should a public entity, and the public, be subsidizing a private elitist anti democratic club?

Why does the PUSD need this contract? Didn't they get a $240m bond to repair the schools facilities a decade ago? Are they not trying for another $340m bond this year for the same? Doesn't that $580 million cover repairing the three tennis courts at Eliot?

Don't those Country Club people have any shred of decency that they would attempt such a outrageous contract? A contract that required enforcement of the exclusive use of the site by the ATCC by the police.

Doesn't the public own this property? When will the public be able to use these play fields at school sites for casual un organized recreation?

Who at the PUSD got the gravy on this one?

This turkey of a contract was due to be heard last night, but after the emails began flowing, the item was pulled from the agenda. Look out this bulging bit of pork will return!

We live in a political world

We live in a political world,
love don't have any place-
We're living in times where men commit crimes -
and crime don't have a face.

We live in a political world,
Icicles are hangin down -
All the respectable ones sing,
The Righteous, they are cast to the ground!

We live in a political world,
Wisdom is thrown into Jail,
It rots in a cell, is mistreated as hell,
Leaving no one to pick up the trail.

We live in a political world-
Where Mercy walks the plank-
Life is in mirrors, death disappears
Up the steps into the nearest bank.

We live in a political world,
Where Courage is a thing of the past.
Houses are haunted, your children unwanted-
The next day may be your last!

We live in a political world,
the one you see and feel
Aint no one to check, it's all a stacked deck-
We know for sure, thats whats real!

We live in a political world,
the cities of lonesome fear
Little by little, you turn to the middle,
But, you're never sure that you're here.

We live in a political world,
Under the microscope
You can travel anywhere, and hang yourself there-
You always have more than enough rope.

We live in a political world,
Turning and thrashing about.
Soon as you're awake, you're trained to take-
What looks like the easy way out.

We live in a political world,
the rich they opress the poor,
They have the nerve to claim, God's name-
while to Mammon they whore!

We live in a political world,
God's Servant ain't welcome at all,
He's turned away from the door, made tro wander some more-
Till he's put up against the wall!

Transcribed from Bob Dylan concert by Steve Lamb , 1996
copyright Bob Dylan, 1989