Monday, March 07, 2005

Free golf? How 'bout free cable?

Terry Gates, a frequent contributor to the Buzz forums and an avid golfer, is up for appointment to the Parks & Recreation Board tonight. We hear that some people think he's going for the job just to get the free golf at Springdale and Lincoln Hills that board members (and City Commissioners) enjoy.

Well, we have a couple of thoughts on that.

First, Gates would be an excellent choice for the parks board. He's involved, intelligent and he always keeps an open mind. He'd be a great addition to the board, and we urge his appointment.

Second, we think the free golf perk ought to be eliminated, and Gates ought to be the first (er, the second) to suggest eliminating it. Hell, we would have thought the Ethics Ordinance would have outlawed such a dumb policy. How much sense does it make to give policymakers -- the board members and city commissioners who decide how to run and fund our golf courses -- a free ride on greens fees?

Of course, we could continue the perk, and add a few more:

* Free cable for Cable Board members.
* Free parking for Parking Advisory Board members.
* Free permits for members of the Planning Board and HDDRC.
* No late fees for members of the Library Board.
* No PSD taxes for members of the PSD board.
* No speeding tickets for members of the Traffic & Safety Board.