dirty work ?

Exactly WHAT dirty work was being done? Asking questions about taxes being spent for the benefit of private interests, numbers that make NO sense, and Optimist connections that dont now (and NEVER HAVE) existed, is dirty work? We are back to the-you dont have enough people to make a valid inquiry- argument, which is ridiculous of course. Let the facts speak for themselves. Which numbers and figures presented are being disputed? on what basis? Are there ANY contradicting facts or figures being presented? the truth has only one voice, be it spoken by one, or many. The message is the same. Dont worry about the resident unnecessarily, as he is grown man and can take care of himself. He DOES need help tho, researching the accurate numbers and uncovering the truth. The truth shall set you free! Yes, together, we can.

no reply

Any and every Miami Springs taxpayer has a right to know where their tax monies are going- to whom, for what services and when, at what cost, and what the users were charged for those services. There are numbers posted all over the MS website, some of them accurate, but very few details about the pool and how THOSE numbers were derived. Why is that? The City Manager first said there were contracts with the swim teams, but that as quickly changed to "use agreements", and finally he admitted those dont exist either and they are here on a handshake and a "gentlemans agreement". No other dept in the City is run on those "agreements- why the pool? is that any way to run a business? provide a service? get fair market value? avoid, at least, the appearances of impropriety, if not illegality? demonstrate to the residents that their taxes are being well spent providing services to Springs residents? which IS the intent, no? Nobody has responded to the questions asked about the Optimist (lack) of connection- why is THAT? NO factual replies are forthcoming on ANY of the questions raised here- is that because there ARE no replies that make any sense? Like the posted revenues at the pool- pure fiction? creative accounting? Facts and figures have been presented here- disprove them if you can, with YOUR documented facts and verified figures. Lets talk numbers that are believable.

zip code approach works

Detailing the numbers of participants in the 33166 zip code addresses the area of concern and avoids any possible privacy isues. Great idea! How can ANYBODY object to that? The Gazette has been a lapdog and cheerleader for City Hall for years, practically since its inception. the City throws a lot of advertising business their way and they arent about to bite the hand that feeds it. When you go to lift weights you have to sign in. When you swim at the UM you have to sign in. When you request an FOI you have to sign in. when you go to zoning you have to sign in. its a way for management to document that they are providing services, and more importantly, services to the residents that pay their salary. is there ANY posible reason why a roster of names would NOT be provided to interested parties, especially residents whose taxes are paying for the pool? Somehow THAT is top secret information, while all the other city functions its just a matter of course and good business principles and practices? It may be moot anyway, as the zip code approach alleviates those concerns.

numbers needed?

Surely it is not being said that residents who; question posted numbers that are in conflict with the revenues claimed; wonder why public taxes are being used to subsidize private businesses; are amazed that Optimist connections that are stated that apparently DO NOT exist, and never have; are puzzled why we get so litle revenue from teams that practice here six days a week; and are confused by why a 100-strong private swim team needs a public handout that only benefits the swim team and has NO benefits to the actual swimmers- is anyone saying those concerns are not valid because not a lot of others are asking those questions? Maybe if more people asked those questions there would some real, validated, documented answers forthcoming. As posted, the pool revenues have no discernable relationship to the monies they SAID they took in. Not even close. Anybody care to explain THOSE incongruencies? After over a month, why are there no verifiable rosters presented? How many people have to make these inquiries for them to become valid? Those who believe the inquiries are invalid need to explain WHY they believe them to be invalid, using facts and verified figures to support your case. You can start by explaining the nonexistent Optimist connection claim.

passionate protests

As difficult as it is sometimes, lets see if we can focus more on the issues than the personalities involved, as it clouds the real issues and can detract from the impact that facts naturally have when simply stated. Lets let the facts speak for themselves and people can draw their own conclusions from that. Passion is a good thing and to live life without it is miss out on a lot of life's enjoyments. Its only a problem if it gets in the way of our goals. Passion with a purpose is my goal, so that I can be clearly understood and the discussion can move forward, towards a resolution of SOME sort, if at all possible.

exercise in American democracy

It was good to see the Council chambers packed again, as it does show that some of our residents care about what happens at the pool. I am afraid that most of the speakers missed the main point, however. NOBODY was saying that swimming isnt good exercise and a great sport, with LOTS of benefits to a lot of people all over the world. That much is pretty much conceded and indisputable. The point is that, in these VERY difficult times, can we afford to leave it open year-round? especially when there are so few of our own kids involved, and the losses are HUNDREDS of THOUSANDS of dollars to the taxpayers? That is the basic question, and doesnt even begin to address the propriety of subsidizing a private team with public tax monies. OR why numbers and statements were made WITHOUT any form of documentation or proof? Another question would be- why are we NOT getting the standard pool rental rates for the use of our pool? IF we were, at least getting those monies, our pool costs would be considerably less. There are several questions that still remain unanswered. The Aquatics/polo numbers make no sense if what they are telling us about revenues that were supposed to have been collected is true. Why would Gym say there is an Optimist connection if there IS NONE? If he would blatantly fabricate that statement it casts doubts about his credibility, and makes one wonder what OTHER statements are fabricated? Just because only one resident showed up to question the wisdom of all these issues does NOT mean that others do not care either. Plenty of concerned residents show up here and do a lot of valuable services to the city with their research and inquiries. They show up HERE and that is a valuable contribution. To say their points are invalid because they didnt show up at the Council meeting is ridiculous, of course. MORE community involvement is needed, but lets focus on resolving the real issues. It is conceded that swimming is great exercise and team swimming is a great sport. Now lets focus on the issues that are specific to OUR pool, and its operations. By the way, I am not hiding anywhere. I was there and I spoke. This is an exercise in American democracy. Comments are welcome.

fabricated figures

Making up a story about Optimist involvement that was apparently totally and blatantly fabricated makes one wonder what other things are fabricated, no? The numbers also appear fabricated, as if you claim Aquatics/polo admissions for 07-08 are $2150 and then claim that the High schools alone pay $1500 each, thats more than the $2150 right there! and that doesnt count MDAC practices, meets, MSSH rental fees, scuba, or any private rentals. MDAC was supposedly paying $200 per month for the past year (and more) and those annual rentals alone are more than the $2150 claimed ($2400). None of the numbers presented make any sense, and there are NO receipts, deposit slips, or bank statements to back up anything they have claimed. Some days 80 swim teamers are itemized and documented as using our pool, with NO income reported. ZERO. ZIP. NADA. Whose on first?

meets memo question

How many meets have been held there in the past three years? Answer- 2006 -2 meets (both HS related); 2007- 3 meets (one HS and two team related); 2008- same as 2007. MSSH may host a dual meet with another school at the pool a couple times each year, but there are no issues with that... maybe 30 kids in a 10-12 event meet with only one heet for each event. The events may vary and are usually agreed on by the coaches. Relays may be held if the teams have enough swimmers to fill all four legs. The other high school meets are the GMAC meet and the HS district meet, which MSSH usually hosts". Comments? What about the meet where we leased the pool to the doral team, and they turned around and re-leased it to the Goulds Devil Rays? It appears the Doral team split the monies with the Goulds team. Why dont we lease it directly to other teams? Why does Doral HAVE TO broker the deal? Do you suppose that Doral gave it to Goulds at the same price we gave it to them? Something is fishy here. We lease it to Doral for about HALF the going rate, and they turn around and lease it again? Whats wrong with that picture? And there has been NO cancelled checks, receipts, or bank statements offered to even suggest that the pool bills from Doral has ever been paid! Not for the meets, OR for the practices! In other words, it appears that we have been providing a FREE pool for their use, profit, and benefit, while the residents pay all the costs involved to maintain the pool open for them. At the very least they should be billed, and actually pay the going rates.

Optimistic

Glad to hear from the Optimists. Wonder how Gym got that information? Optimists sponsored my football from pee wee all the way up. Had a blast. Well run. Never heard ONE complaint of anything not on the up and up. STILL never have. The memo clearly states that the concession monies are funneled into Optimist accounts. Can this be another one of those secret handshake deals that nobody else knows about? sounds strange to me. The verbatim quote is,"Concession stand is run by volunteer parents and the money is deposited with the Optimist Club thru their association with the team. As it is done thru the Optimist Club, no resale tax is charged." Weird.

questions persist

The point about the break by charging only $200 a month is well taken. It amounted to an $1100 a month break for the MDAC swim team! There WERE NO breaks given to the swimmers! They were charged the same. It was money in the swim teams pocket. That $1100 break came straight out of the Springs taxpayers pocket into theirs. Is it possible that some of that $1100 a month wound up in anybody elses pocket? Is it possible that little Timmy was a Springs kid? one of the six? which would make the count for current active Springs kids even lower. Good work tracking that down. Any Optimists out there know anything about the Optimist connection?

in need of a handout?

lets see.. 100 swimmers paying $100 a month, thats ten grand a month! 120k per year! does THAT sound like a struggling team that needs a handout? not counting all the other monies made at meets- concessions, heet sheets, admission fees, pool rentals NOT paid... practically FREE practices.. all courtesy of the Springs taxpayers! A thriving swim team that practices here because we are one of the few pools that are heated, and will allow them to use our heated pools for almost NOTHING! Residents pay 20k+ heating bills, and they pay $200 a month? Even $500 a month is ridiculously cheap! For a team with 100 swimmers? Does 120k a year sound like a struggling enterprise in need of a hand out? They were paying at least $1300 a month at the jr college, and then moved here when Gym offered them our pool for $200 a month? And there IS no record of that $200 a month ever have been paid!? An FOI was made requesting any and all revenues paid to the City by MDAC back three years. We shall see.

smoke and fire

It is also too early to become discouraged, as progress has been made, and more progress will be made in the future. This was just an opening skirmish of the election process. If you cant expose or shame them into doing the right thing for the residents, then they have to go. To do that the Silent Majority needs to become informed and educated in a large variety of ways and thru a wide range of communication devices. This is but ONE of them. This has been, and will continue to be, an exercise in American democracy. There ARE other local blog sites, however, that welcome resident comments and discussion. If you smell smoke for long enough, eventually you will find the fire causing it.

first round

It is not clear that ANYBODY spoke out against the pool. The pool was acknowledged as a valuable community resource and swimming as an excellent exercise and sport. The question was, and IS, 1) whether the people should be subsidizing a private business that only has 6 Springs residents with a LOT of taxpayers dollars (20 people showed up out of 13,000), 2) whether all the revenues at the pool are accurately accounted for (still in serious doubt), and 3) how many more sweetheart deals can the City Manager make at the expense of the taxpayers? A couple things became obvious- One, the taxpayers are going to have to do a better job of informing and educating the people about the real issues of horrible management, large losses, and highly questionable business practices, if not corruption, that is going on in our City before the election. This means expanding their efforts beyond this blog to the Gazette, the Herald, and other educational and investigative avenues. Second, a grass-roots effort needs to be made to get the word out, and means talking to our friends, neighbors, family members, and fellow church members about the issues, with a conscious effort to not focus on the personalities, no matter how dishonest, disingenuous, misleading, and deceptive they may be. There is an election coming up soon, and the only real impact that needs to be made, and that they will understand, is to bring in new faces, ideas, energies, and sound business practices by honest people who have the residents best interests at heart. THAT will be the real test. This is just the opening squabble. ZERO proof was offered that indicated that there are now, or have been lately, more than 6 Springs kids on MDAC. If city officials were so sure about the figures they quoted they would make those numbers known. The fact that they havent indicates they were less than honest about the numbers and MIGHT cause a prudent person to wonder if they are less-than-honest about a LOT of other things! If they HAD the numbers they quoted in a verifiable roster they would have produced them. They didnt, and they CANT. Its WAY too early to gloat, Gym.

Recycle That TV

What to do with those 15 million analog TVs that will be rendered obsolete February 17, 2009? According to the Consumer Electronics Assn. (CEA) 25% of them will be recycled. That is good news because each one can leak up to 8 pounds of lead into the environment. Check the CEAs website at ww.mygreenelectronics.org, or go to earth911.org. Type in your zip code and a list of local recycling centers will pop up, with addresses and phone numbers. or call the environmental Hotline at 1-800-253-2687. Call your recycling center first, as all of them don't accept TVs. Some limit what can be recycled, and others may charge a fee. Another option is going to your local retailers and manufacturers, like Best Buy, office Depot, and Sony, who have there own recycling plans in place. The EPA lists its "plug-in partners" at www.eps.gov/rcc/plugin, which will transfer you to corporate sites that can give you the details about their plans. AARP Bulletin, May 2006

May Was National Military Appreciation Month

Kay MacVey is 82 a member of American Legion Auxiliary Unit 32, Ames, Iowa, where she and other members clipped #349,000 in coupons during 2007 and gave them to military families, for redemption at commissaries. "The families really enjoy using them, and it saves them a lot of money, especially on baby food and diapers", says the great-great grandmother. It takes several hours a week, but she doesn't mind at all. "Theres a lot of things I cant do at this age, but this I can do". AARP Bulletin, May, 2008, pg 8.

memo

How many hours a day does the swim team use the pool? Roughly three hours in the water. This includes the kids in the shallow end 4;30 to 6pm, and the advanced swimmers in the deep end 5-7pm. Their original fee, per month, was $200. This was an agreed upon rate to allow them to build up the numbers on the team and encourage Miami Springs kids to join the team. As of Oct 1st, they are now charged $500 per month. That rate may appear low, but remember we are trying to provide a recreational oppurtunity for our kids thru this club team. In this sport,unless the municipality pays for a coach, success is found only at the club level. I think Miami Beach and Hialeah are the only two city-sponsored teams in Miami-Dade county. comment- Apparently the fire-sale rent concept has worked to atract kids to swimming, in Doral. It hasnt worked nearly as well here, in the Springs, but the Springs taxpayers STILL get the bills. IF 10% of that team is from the Springs, we should pay 10% of the expenses, and so on. Maybe it could be assessed on a quarterly basis. If they are so sure about the numbers of Springs kids involved, why dont they just submit a verifiable list on a weekly or monthly basis for the past 3 years, as was requested? Why are they resisting this? Its a simple way to clear up this question once and for all. Names, addresses, months involved, etc. Simple, no?

memo and more

The memo quoted is the same memo that the Council and the resident received this past Monday, in response to the residents questions. The rest will be put out in chunks as that seems to work best here. There would be more weight and confidence in the 140-147k cost estimate if they would show WHERE and HOW they got those numbers. As it is, it could be just as easily an arbitrary number pulled out of the sky if it has no real verifiable backing. Numbers without any receipts, invoice numbers, or bank statements we have plenty of NOW. Again, the crux of the issue, even if you consider the 150k or so number somewhat accurate, is that is the amount the residents are paying to subsidize a PRIVATE club that only has SIX Springs kids on it. There is NO doubt that MDAC is a private concern, right? The questions NOW are how many Springs kids are benefitting, and if the numbers are accurate. Memo... How many Springs kids are on the MDAC swim team? Answer- According to the owner of the team, the number varies from a low of 15 to a high of about 30 (approx 30-50% of the team, depending on seasonality)... IF those numbers are accurate, and it varies according to the season, then this question can be easily cleared up by revealing a monthly verifiable roster of the swimmers for the last 3 years or so, to account for the seasonality and allow a general idea about exactly how many kids are involved, on average. That was what was requested by the resident, but hasnt materialized yet. Why not? Its a simple solution to THAT part of the puzzle.

UAW pay rates

Do auto workers really earn $73 an hour?
Posted Dec 11 2008, 07:26 AM by Kim Peterson Rating: Filed under: Ford, Honda, Toyota, GM, Kim PetersonThe New York Times debunks the claim that the Big Three auto workers earn $73 an hour. That number came from the car companies themselves during union negotiations, writes David Leonhardt.

But it isn't completely accurate. Yes, the companies do spend about $73 for every hour of unionized work, Leonhardt writes. Not all of that goes to the worker's pocket.

Here's how it breaks down:

Cash: All the basics -- wages, overtime and vacation pay -- add up to $40 an hour.

Extras: Health insurance and pension costs total about $15 an hour.

Retiree benefits: These are fixed costs, and the Big Three have a huge pool of retirees out there, Leonhardt writes. They add up to about $15 an hour.

So the true hourly salary for a union worker is about $55. That's about twice what the typical American worker makes. And it's about $10 more than what a nonunionized worker at Honda or Toyota makes, Leonhardt writes.

"There is good reason to keep GM and Chrysler from collapsing in 2009. (Ford is in slightly better shape.) The economy is in the worst recession in a generation. You can think of the Detroit bailout as a relatively cost-effective form of stimulus. It’s often cheaper to keep workers in their jobs than to create new jobs."

But, he adds, the Big Three will have to get smaller to survive. No way they can be kept on the job at THOSE pay rates. Cut then in HALF and then maybe we will bail their butts out! We would be insuring their survival! not a VERY comfortable lifestyle!

more memo

memo continued.. Entry fees for swimmers (on a per event basis) are collected by the host team. 20% of those fees goes to Fla Gold Coast Swimming Assn., the remaining 80%remain with the host team. There is also a "facility" charge which is the money usually set aside for the rental of the pool facility for the meet. This fee raised $798 ($3 per swimmer times 266 swimmers) toward the $1350 payment of the pool rental charge to the City.... these are figures for the last pool meet, I assume, and are 60-100 less swimmers than the meet Directors said were there. It is certainly open to conjecture if the city officials consistently underestimate and under-report the numbers of swimmers, at meets and at practices. Comments? medals, ribbons, awards, pay to officials (starter, stroke and turn judges, meet officials, food for coaches, etc.) are paid out of these funds... those appear to be valid expenses but dont sound like they are all that expensive, less than $1000, when compared to the monies taken in by the host team (estimated to be over 15k for the last meet).

erroneus assumption ?

On the daily logs seen by the resident there were occasional mentions of a middle school team. It was assumed that it was a Springs middle school team. Does the Springs middle school even HAVE a team? In the six weeks of logs reviewed maybe six times a middle school was mentioned. It now appears that assumption could have been in error. It seems that the Council will only consider citizens complaints if there is a smoking gun, a body, and an eye witness to wrongdoing. There is considerably more information in the memo that will be shared here and provides more information about how the pool is operated. For this information we have Mr. Dotson to thank, as its a step in the right direction, although a LOT of thanks goes to the citizens who have done the legwork and made the phone calls and searches to ferret out the truth. It has to be kept in mind the POSSIBILITY, not probability at this point, that the pool operation is just horribly run and managed, with few controls and documentation that would embarass a fifth grader. The Doral middle information will be interesting, and the explanation even better, as that would be cash monies documented, and disappearing.

memo

Memo: "Spectator" or "gate" revenues (which includes an event program called a Heet sheet) is kept by the host team. This fee can vary from meet to meet. The Heet sheets are several pages thick and reproduction costs will vary. Admission fees have been placed at $3-4 each and $1-2 per heet sheet- say $5 per person. At one-and-a-half to two people per swimmer (parents, siblings,friends, neighbors, etc) according to the last meet Directors estimates of 320-350 swimmers thats a nice chunk of change. Comments?

Optimist concessions

memo continued.. Concession stand is run by volunteer parents and the money is deposited with the Optimist Club, through their association with the team. As it is done thru the Optimist Club no resale tax is charged. for the GMAC meet (all the HS in dade) the MSSH parents ran the concessions and all the money raised went to the payment of their pool rental. At large meets there may also be vendors that sell swimming apparel and products. The host team usually gets 10% of those sales. THE volunteer parents that run the concessions, are they host team parents, or Optimist parents? how long has the Optimist Club been associated with the swim team? Is there some kind of contract with them to assist the swim team? Do they just help the MSSH swim team? Do they provide this oppurtunity to everyone? Good to see the Optimist Club involved, but this is the first time this connection with the swim team has been revealed. Is this another handshake agreement?

benefit of the doubt

Just because an active team mother is the cashier and reports directly to Gorland, does NOT mean she is guilty of reporting anything BUT they actual admission figures! It may certainly give the possible appearance of a conflict in interest BUT does NOT mean she would mis-report the actual numbers or the monies taken in! That would be fraud, right? Like evrybody else, people should be given the benefit of the doubt, until it is proven otherwise. There is currently NO proof that anything illegal is being done there, by her, or anyone else, so far. There ARE some highly questionable and irregular practices happening there tho, and those are being looked into. Stay tuned.

rosters requested

The resident today requested a roster of all the swimmers that use our pool, including their current addresses, via FOI. In addition, he requested via FOI to see all the revenues received over the past three years from MDAC, Columbus, and Reagan HS for meets, practices, etc. He forgot to request same information from MSSH, middle school, and the Rip Tides polo team, but will correct that oversight soon. It is generally believed that we received $500 from this years polo camp, but memo says we will receive $1350 for the next one. Rip Tides are reported to be nonprofit, but they should STILL pay the going rate for nonprofits. Camp is all week long and doesnt interfere with any of the other pool activities, including the swim teams, accordint to memo.

handshakes

Memo in response to residents request for pool information: Do we have a contract for the use of the pool with any of the teams using the pool? Answer: No. We have started a program, and will continues improving on it for all of our fecilitites. Currently Jazzercise is operating under our first "contract" for use of our facilities. However, we do have handshake agreements regarding each users charges. This is very interesting. I wonder how many of these handshake agreements we have currently in place? How long have they been in effect? Does the Council know about these agreements? Where is the revenues from the handshake agreements stated? Is the City Attorney okay with these handshake agreements? Shouldnt these agreements ba available to the public? If not, why not?

accurate admission numbers

It would be interesting to know how accurate the admission numbers are. Who keeps the receipt book? There have been days when 80 swimmers were noted and ZERO revenues were reported. How can THAT be? Sometimes the specific details of the swimmers and where they come form are excellent; other times not as good. The more accurate the numbers and the teams the harder it is for them to fudge them. Without accurate numbers its difficult to show the impossible and implausible figures for what they are- creative concoctions.

you decide

Where is the $1500 a season that Gym says was collected from Columbus and Reagan HS reflected as income? As of 2007 there was no payments made and administraion knew it. Did they ever bill for those past season payments? Did they ever receive those payments? All we are asking for is an accurate and timely accounting of all revenues taken in and expenses paid out. didnt Gym go on record as saying that there WERE contracts with all the HS and MDAC? Then he said there maybe werent any contracts, but that there were "use agreemants"? At the last Council meeting he admitted there were NO contracts and only use agreements with Jazzercise, and maybe the Pelican Players. Does anybody remember exactly what was said? It is amazing that TWO weeks after Gorland telling Mr Dotson that those numbers werent available and didnt exist, and ONE week after Gym telling the resident that they werent available and didnt exist, they magically appear! does anybody have any information about the pool heating costs for the last three years. Just because numbers were given by city officials does NOT mean they have ANY relationship to reality! Look at the stated pool/Aquatics revenue numbers for the past year- they have NO relationship to any pool reveue figures that were supposedly collected! When the total is $2150 and the Columbus and Reagan HS revenues ALONE should be $3000, you have to wonder about ANY figures they put out, no? Add the supposed monies we were were due for swim practices (another $2400 a year, at least), private pool rentals, the scuba guys, and the supposed $750 a day for meet pool rentals for 3-4 meets and their numbers ARENT EVEN CLOSE! They either have NO clue, are the worst management team in history, are not charging and receiving payments for the pool usage, or are charging and receiving the monies but pocketing it. Maybe the answer is ALL of the above! You decide.

unbelievable numbers

Gym has repeatedly said that WE, the City, do NOT sponsor swim events. We lease them out to swim teams, mostly private swim teams, and THEY sponsor the event or re-lease it out to other swim teams. THEY collect the revenues from the concessions, heat sheets, and and admission fees, and keep the proceeds. Apparently we occasionally charge a rental fee, and actually collect it sometimes, possibly, altho there is still considerable doubt about that. It is curious that these pool rentals are NOT reflected under Aquatics or polo categories. At Gyms stated rate of $750 a day for meets, a 2-day meet should bring in $1500. Four meets a year adds up to $6000. IF the annual revenues from Aquatics/polo is $2150 for the entire FY 07-08, where is that $6000 reflected? Where are the scuba revenues reflected? This, of course, does NOT account for the $200 a month that was supposedly charged for swim practices either, which would add another $2400 to the totals of missing revenues. NONE of these numbers make sense! THEY CANT be accurate! How long has Gym been charging this theoretical $200 a month for MDAC practice? Columbus? Reagan? The unverified and hypothetical $750 a day for meet pool rental? Before that? The FY 04-05 aquatics/polo revenues were reported as $1872 and ZERO for 03-04 FY. Gym has been here five years so its good to go all the way back to the beginning to get an accurate comparison of those reported pool revenues during his tenure. Lots of questions-few answers that make any sense. ZERO income?

more nonsense

The reported revenues for polo/aquatics was $4200 in FY 06-07. IF MDAC was being charged the $200 a month that Gym says they were, $2400 of that number was for pool practice rental, leaving $1800 in polo rentals. When you consider that polo revenues for THIS year are projected at $17,000, it would be a HUMONGOUS jump from $1800 to 17k in less than 2 years, no? Almost 1000%, again. How would THAT be explained? Where would the pool rentals from Reagan and Columbus be? IF they were collected, they should be reflected somewhere, right? Where are the pool rentals listed for meets? Gym says he charges $750 a day and we had at least four 2-day meets. Where would that $6000 be reflected? None of that revenue was apparently reported under aquatics/polo. We supposedly rent our pool to swim teams, so that revenue would be expected to be declared under aquatics, right? It isnt.

nonsensical numbers

It doesnt appear that the Finance Director is a CPA. If the Council sets the fees for renting our pool at $750 a day, why have we been charging less? SIGNIFICANTLY less, or nothing at all. How could we have been charging $200 a month for pool rentals for the MDAC swim team when the total reported revenues for BOTH them AND the polo team FY 2007-08 were $2150? Two hundred times 12 is $2400 right off the bat, right? And DOESNT include the rental monies from the polo team, right? Even IF the $200 a month pool rentals WERE paid, and that is highly questionable, the MDAC swim team practices alone should have been more than the $2150 that was claimed! Then add in the polo team rentals, which this year are projected at $17,000. What were the polo team rentals for LAST YEAR? These numbers make NO sense! IF Gym has been charging the $200 a month since the MDAC team has been here practicing at our pool, and thats a BIG IF, it should be reflected in the revenues. It obviously isnt. If he hasnt been charging them even that small pittance, why not? Where does he get the authority to give away our city resources for FREE? Was the Council ever notified? Were they aware that it was happening? and did nothing? Why didnt they DO something, if they knew? If they DIDNT know, why DIDNT they know? Did the Council authorize the City Manager to give away use of our facilities for FREE? If so, when did THAT happen? Where and when was the Council's oversight responsibilty put into action? EVER? Highly questionable numbers, at best. At worst, we are being fleeced. AGAIN. STILL.

In NO manner, shape, or form does the resident believe this pool inquiry is futile or overwhelming. Ferreting out all the details is not necessarily what he enjoys most or is best at. He is best at taking the details and putting them together into a bigger picture. Ha cannot do that without accurate and timely information and truly appreciates those who help with the details. He is not in the least discouraged or disinterested in this pool situation. He is hoping that those with pertinent information and expertise at interpreting it will help from time to time, anonymously if necessary. More information was provided last night but a LOT of necessary information remains to be seen. Better questions are needed, and probably in the form of FOIs. This will NOT be easy, but it IS doable.

think positive

Any and all residents are encouraged to view the Comcast video so they can decide for themselves what was, and wasnt, said or done. The main concern expressed by swim team parents to the resident was the accuracy of the numbers presented. They doubted the accuracy of the $165 per hour pool rental fees and said that if the figures were checked with several local pools the numbers would be considerably lower. A survey of 3 or 4 pools seems to be in order to determine the accuracy and veracity of the numbers presented. Let the numbers speak for themselves. Lets not get so wrapped in the personalities that we lose sight of the issues. This pool issue is a LONG way from over. The truth shall set you free! Lets not be discouraged, as there are many options and avenues still open. For instance, it apears that more FOIs are in order that ask for specific information, based on what has been presented.

musings

Youngs questions were mostly directed at Sandy pell and Mike Aldredge, who are in charge of golf course operations. It was admitted that the losses may be a little less because when the projections were made gas was over $4 a gallon. Viewing the Comcast video will shed some light on what happened, or DIDNT happen. How telling was it when Youngs asked the City Manager, "Jim, we can do this whatever way you want." They were talking about annexation at the time but really could have been talking about ANYTHING. All the Council is waiting for is Gym to tell them what they need to think and do, and they will do it! Best is not the only actor awaiting direction up there on the dais. Can it be that Youngs has finally caught that dreaded Fiscal Responsibility Disease? Nah, probably not. Gym probably told him to bring this up to divert some attention and take some of the heat off him from this latest pool fiasco. Balance a complete and total lack of fiscal responsibility and oversight at the pool with a smattering at the golf course.

pool audit needed

The Council DID reassure the handful of residents present that, as long as THEY are on the job, the pool will remain open! They do NOT care how much it costs.. US! Garcia says its a quality of life issue, and that our quality of life will fall off a cliff if we only have the pool open during the Summer! Once we start down that slippery slope towards fiscal responsibility, in no time we will somehow become a suburban ghetto, without a soul or identity! Please. It WAS nice to see all the residents out for the Council meeting AND it was also good to hear all the stories about the healing properties and beneficial effects of having a community pool and swimming. Nobody is saying that swimming is NOT great exercise OR that swimming on a team wouldnt be good thing. What we ARE saying is that we are in tough times and cant afford to be subsidizing private businesses while we, the residents, are losing 200k at the pool. Is there ANYBODY who believes we SHOULD be giving away our City resources to private businesses so THEY can profit? On what grounds would they make that claim? There is NO verifiable proof that 15-30 Springs kids are on the M-D Aquatic Club, now or in recent memory! Until there IS verifiable proof that the numbers arent closer to SIX, that number will stand. Is there ANYBODY who believes that 13000+ Springs taxpayers should pay all the 200k costs for those SIX kids to practice year-round? Why would ANYBODY believe that Springs taxpayers should pay thru the nose for kids on a team that is 95% non-residents? Was MDAC in error when they told the Doral City Council that a large majority of their kids are from Doral? and that they use our facilities for free? How could they have made a simple mistake like that? Somebody is NOT telling the truth here. Who could that be?

deja vu all over again?

There was NOBODY asking any questions of substance except Mr Dotson. Garcia said, as usual, that we must keep the pool open year-round NO MATTER what it costs, as usual. He doesnt care HOW much WE pay, as it not like its HIS 200k subsidizing that private business! Again, STILL, no semblance of any sign of fiscal responsibility on ANY of the Councilmen's part, except Dotson. Youngs DID question the golf operation as it is projected that they will lose 190k in this FY. The spoke about holding off on new purchases. Youngs DID say he was a tleast somewhat troubled by the trend of the golf course toward greater losses, as the whole idea of backing the new gym was that they could afford to do it IF the golf course was breaking even, or even had losses under 100k. If the Councils whole concept of paying for the new gym was predicated on the golf course breaking even, that isnt happening. This sounds eerily familiar, as big losses at the CC was the reason why it was given to Mr Santana for a song, to subsidize HIS private business! Can it be that we are heading the same way with the golf course? Is it possible that they will decide that the losses at the golf course are intolerable AGAIN, and give that city resource to a private business to run, at OUR expense? The Council and City DOES have a track record of giving away city facilities and resources that have been horribly mismanaged to private entities for THEIR benefit at the taxpayers expense! Could it be deja vu all over again?

questions unanswered..

MDAC Director said they only work out at one facility, while website claims five. Somebody isnt telling the truth. Two weeks ago Mr Gorland told Mr Dotson there were no methods in place to determine what the revenues at the pool were, but they were hoping to get some soon. Last Tuesday the City Manager told the resident that he had no idea what the breakdown was regarding the revenues and expenses at the pool. Tonight they had a LOT of numbers available for the past couple months. How did they come up with those numbers? Where were they? Why did they NOT reveal them when asked by the resident and Mr Dotson? Could it be that NEITHER City Manager knew that the numbers were available? That would just be unbelievably incompetent. If they didnt reveal the numbers because they hadnt made them up quite yet, that would be fraud, right? The City Manager said that the MDAC swim team has been charged $200 a month all along, and that, by mutual agreement, it was raised to $500 a month starting this past October. I would be interested to see where the $200 a month is reflected in the pool records of two years ago. In addition, this is a GREAT deal for the swim team at $500 a month to practice because at the jr college three years ago they were paying $1300 a month for four lanes! We give them 8 lanes for three hours a day on average and six days a week, for $500 (a little more than a third of what they were paying for less lanes). It was stated that the participation of Springs kids varies according to the season but they said it ranges from 15-30 kids. Notable by its absence was any verifiable roster for the past three years, like the City Manager said he was going to produce. How did he come to that figure if there are NO rosters available? He said by his count there was only 266 swimmers at the last meeet, while the meet Director and his assistant told the resident the range was 320 to 350! Are the number of swimmers always underestimated by the City Manager? The City Manager admitted there were NO contracts between any of the swim teams that use our pool, and there was NO discussion of any use agreements except the Jazzercisers. Isnt there a record of the City Manager asserting that there WAS contracts? He now says there is a gentlemans agreement with MSSH due to our using Stafford Park- this is not a major bone of contention, or concern, altho they should pay something too. The numbers stated for heating the pool for the past 3 years were $20,958, $22,272, and $17,564, the last number being the most recent. He said Columbus and Reagan have been billed $1500 a season in the past- have they paid those amounts? Where is THAT money reflected? He said the scuba guys use one lane and are charged $15 an hour. Where is THAT money accounted for? Mr Dotson had a bad headcold and asked some pertinent questions, but left a lot of other questions unasked and unanswered. Some examples are given above.

musings

Heard that Mr Giglio worked for Pat Perry in Hialeah! Can anybody confirm that? If so, wonder what she would have to say about that work experience, who was responsible for doing what, and how it worked out? Hmmm.....

pool musings

Resident went to fgcswim website. Info is in different format and requires some additional software to open files, apparently. All of that info would be good to know tonight so that it would at least reflect what IS being claimed for each swim meet. The program is Team Manager. If anyone has it and can open those files and present the information here, it would be very helpful. It also says that format is compatible with Adobe pdf files. After having a pool for FORTY YEARS it is incomprehensible to NOT have accurate revenue controls in place! It is either incredible incompetency OR deliberate skimming of admission fees. Neither is acceptable, and skimming is illegal (fraud? grand theft?). How long ago did the MDAC official make a payment to the pool? Who did he pay? Cash? Check? What was it for? Practice? Meets? Does anybody know how much the check was for? Was it documented in the receipt book? Who would know? Did anybody witness the payment? The receipt book sounds interesting. While they may try to BS Mr Dotson, he has been an accountant for over thirty years, and knows when the numbers dont make sense. It seems that arrogance, secrecy, and intimidation are the hallmarks of this administration, if not corruption. This has gone on too long. Change is needed. NOW. Start with a pool audit by an outside, independent auditor. Then move on to the golf course and the construction projects.

pool ponderings

It appears that a FOI requesting any and all itemized pool revenues from ALL sources for the past three years is indicated. As has been accurately stated before, there will be cash receipts, bank deposit slips, and bank statements to that effect. IF the money was collected, there should be a paper trail. IF it WASNT collected, we are due a rational explanation as to why we are providing free use of our pool and its staff! If there WAS, in fact, a $2 per day per swimmer practice fee paid, and disappeared somehow, THAT will be an interesting explanation too. The sales tax issue should be clarified Monday night, along with all these other issues, right? In addition, it would be good to know what additional expenses we have incurred for the meets in the past three years. If we take in $1000 and spend the same amount for overtime we are in essence, providing the pool for free, again. STILL. An independent pool audit is required to straighten out this, yet another, city fiasco. Audit the entire city- START with the pool.