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!