There’s no end to the horror
Dear Editor:
Nightmare at Devil's Thumb is our local horror story and continues in serial form. It's a narrative rather like a classic scary movie featuring some huge reptilian creature.
The object of horror is shot at by armies and bombed by airplanes, but to no avail. It just won't die.
Some time in the past, city council approved an expenditure of $17,200 to be tossed cavalierly into the coffers of a rather mystical agency, THK. These reputed consultants were to generate a report telling city council and staff how to reduce costs and increase revenues at The Golf Club.
THK's operational audit, we are told, has been revised eight times and a council member claims he has yet to see the final version. Doesn't anyone see the absurdity in this? Our manager of The Golf Club claims that the report "...is just extremely unrealistic" in its projection of revenue increases and cost reductions if THK's recipe for success is followed. Is it unreasonable to expect that performing research, then providing critical information upon which city council and staff can make operational decisions, was one reason why a manager was hired for The Golf Club?
Properly sensing a minefield, our new city manager stepped gingerly across the threshold of The Golf Club issue. He's not yet sure where the denizens of Delta stand on maintaining this un-affordable recreational site, paid for by so many to the benefit of so few. His first political instinct was to retreat to platitudes: "...we're invested in this resource and it makes sense to make it work." When someone in government speaks of spending taxpayer funds as an investment, as we learned, keep a tight hand on your pocketbook.
One city councilman says that he'll accept an expenditure of $100,000 yearly, plus the $145,000 in debt service. That means that he stands willing to spend a quarter-million dollars per year of his constituency's money for the benefit of The Golf Club, but a half-million is just too much. It's uncertain at this time if he has yet been awarded the coveted label "fiscal conservative" for such admirable frugality.
So where does this leave us, the utility fee and taxpaying Deltoids? It's simple. We must continue to pay for The Golf Club. It appears that no one in city hall either wants or knows how to kill The Golf Club. We're still haunted and pursued by our Monster from Cottonwood Lagoon, The Golf Club.
Alan Metcalfe
Delta