pool comments

Its good to see the discussion has gotten lively! First, is there ANYONE who believes that Springs taxpayers should subsidize a private, for-profit entity? Next, is there ANYONE who believe Springs taxpayers should subsidize that private swim team that is made up of 95% or more nonresidents? As far as I know, the Optimist Club is a local organization made up of local volunteer residents that provide a lot of services and time coaching to large numbers of our kids, and should be commended for that. Is there any doubt or question about that? The MSSH basketball and vollyball teams should be charged a nominal fee, part of me says, but the other part says they are nonprofit, mostly our kids, and they have to use our gym due to circumstances beyond their control (they are renovating their gym, much as WE should be doing). Also, it is a time-limited occurrence of one season only. Still, they should pay SOMETHING. All official teams should pay something; the nonprofit HS teams should pay the discounted rate that they would pay anywhere else in town. For-profit teams should also pay the going rate that is charged everywhere else in town. Parents EXPECT to pay for the expenses of their child. Springs parents expect that too. They DONT expect to pay the expenses of everybody else's kids too, as they expect THOSE parents to pay for that. That is pretty basic, and what it really comes down to. If we can help somebody else's kids at a small deficit we may consider it, but just as a neighborly gesture, NOT as a giveaway. Losses of 200k per school year and 300k per year are NOT small losses. We have absorbed many of those losses in the past but in these difficult times we can NO longer do it! Its simply a luxury we can no longer afford. Why would the parents of those kids, or anybody else, EXPECT us to? We willingly and completely support our kids; is anything less expected of other parents? We like to be good neighbors, but will NOT be taken for fools. Let it be somebody else's burden for a while- we cant afford it.