I know nothing about golf, last time I was on the city course was as a 11 year old caddy. However, I know something about Pawlowski. The problem with leasing the course golf, simply put, is that Pawlowski and this administration doesn't have the trust to continue making such decisions. Even before the recent FBI investigation, the golf course restaurant lease was political. While the administration justifies the proposal because the course lost $163,000 in 2014, please remember that we paid Atiyeh $1.4million for land that we didn't need, to expand a park system that we can't take care of, as is. The current pro, under job duress, is an interested bidder in Pawlowski's quick lease scheme. I'm sure that if council nixes the leasing, that gentleman will make sure that the course is in the black next year. However, that would involve council doing something new for them, saying
no. After ten years of Pawlowski, that's a power that they seem to have forgotten that they process.
Just be grateful *they're* not planning on building on it.
ReplyDeleteSheesh.
Every decession in Allentown is based on narrow political expediency, every single one.
ReplyDeleteThat should be abundantly clear by now.
"Labor costs have been a persistent problem for Allentown's golf course, which pays seasonal employees near union-level wages. A lead pro shop attendant began 2015 making $15.15 an hour. On July 1, that was set to increase to $15.25. Seasonal golf course laborers make 80 percent of the wages paid to city Service Employees International Union workers under an agreement that is set to expire in 2016."
ReplyDeleteThis is the only reason that I have heard as to why the Golf Course is losing money. WAGES? Seriously? A ten-cent increase is mentioned here.
What are they trying to say about the wages and the Unions here? All of these jobs will leave the City just like the water/sewer jobs that are no longer City jobs.
Are we saying that the City should not have assets like a golf course that generate revenue for the City? When we lease this asset, we are allowing a private company to take all of the profit for themselves. Correct?
We did the same thing with the water/sewer lease, correct?
We are saying that Mayor Pawlowski does not know how to manage City assets so he chooses to lease them to a private company, correct?
Please correct me if I'm wrong.
Tonight we were told by the Managing Director, Fran Dougherty, that there was a "White Paper" given to City Council months ago. Not one City Council member mentioned receiving this white paper. Also, the Managing Director said that the white paper did not explain or discuss the failing finances.
ReplyDeleteNo one knows what is going on regarding this lease option the Mayor is pursuing. How much City taxpayer money is being used to "investigate" the option to lease the Golf Course?
Who is in charge? Where is that white paper and who read it?
"Ya' sell the milk, not the cow."
ReplyDelete