[Vision2020] The Hamilton Money: Picture/sketch=1,000 Words

[Tim Lohrmann]

Visionaries,
    Sunil's forward below gives some excellent insight
into some of the problems with this issue.
    
   But if you only have a moment to look into this
issue, go to:  www.stopthegym.com
    
   The whole site is well done, but for instant
insight as to what the fuss is all about, click the
link entitled 'ALTERNATIVE WAYS TO USE THE MONEY.'
   
   This will show you immediately what an incredibly
poor decision this gym would be and what the "fuss" is
all about. 
    TL




--- Sunil Ramalingam <sunilramalingam@hotmail.com>
wrote:

---------------------------------

I am forwarding Tim Ewers' email regarding his
concerns about the proposed gym.  This is an issue
that certainly cuts across our usual positions on
Vision 2020.  If you have concerns about the gym, and
think that perhaps the city should consider other
options, please read on.  


>Subject: Problems with the public process used for
the Hamilton Money >Date: Sun, 25 May 2003 15:07:06
-0700 > The Hamilton Money for Kids was formed a few
weeks ago when the broader impact on the Hamilton fund
was published in the newspaper. Over the past few
weeks, after the broader plans of the Hamilton Indoor
Recreation Center (HIRC) were revealed, we have
requested several meetings with city officials. For
the most part, the officials have been willing to hear
our concerns. They have, however, tried to convince us
that we are too late, that we should have been
involved in the process at the beginning. Part of our
response is that we would have if: 1) we had been
informed about the process, and 2) the full plan and
costs had been revealed during the public hearings. We
are attemping now to convince them that it is not too
late to review the plans, that we have not exhausted
all possibilties, and that even though they have
thrown a lot of money at the current plan there is no
reason to throw it all away. > I believe the officials
want to do the right thing. But, I also believe that
they need to save face and a few egos. With the
planning for HIRC they have gotten themselves into a
very bad situation. Many of us are saddened by their
apparent resolve to continue with the current
situation and their express unwillingness to examine
alternatives and to explore other possibilities.
Granted, nobody wants to admit a mistake, especially a
politician in an election year, but I believe that
this community is willing to forgive mistakes as long
as we learn from them and strive to not repeat them.
However, continuing with a plan to coverup
inadequacies and poor planning is unforgivable. >
>Problems with the public process. 1. The city
officials have explained to us that their public
process for input on the project included a survey
from a random selection of the general Moscow
residents and a survey of the school children. At
first blush this sure sounds like a scientific (and
therefore we assume valid) method for hearing what the
public wishes to do with the Hamilton bequest. Without
getting into a discourse about the misuse of a
scientific instrument from which erroneous conclusions
are drawn, the bottom line is that while the
methodology may have had face validity, it had no
construct validity. In short, the results of the
survey can be shown to be invalid in a number of ways.
The construct of determining public input for how to
use the Hamilton money necessarily demands the input
of the persons who know the most about the needs of
the youth, i.e., those who lead youth sport and
recreation organizations. Not only were the youth
organizations not solicited for input, they were no! t
made aware of the process for input. The recent great
showing of need for different activities in Moscow is
further evidence of why this type of surveying
methodology was ill-conceived. The new Parks and
Recreation Director recently said he was amazed at the
tremendous amount of input and the variety of uses for
field space he was hearing from so many different
organizations. The difference is that he asked them. >

2. The full extent of the impact of HIRC on the
Hamilton bequest was not revealed. Many of the groups
over the past year have been told that they are next
in line for Hamilton money. In effect, this quelled
the concerns of the soccer and baseball organizations.
We were all led to believe that some of the money
would be spent on a gym and the rest would be used for
the other youth recreation and sporting needs. This
was disingenously to say the least. We now are told
that to run the facility will cost more than
$80,000.00 per year (which will be the most expensive
city building to operate in Moscow). In order to cover
the costs of operating the facility they plan to
invest the remainder of the Hamilton money and use the
interest. Therefore, they have effectively used the
bulk of the Hamilton bequest for one over-priced,
ill-conceived gym. The bottom line: There is no
Hamilton money for any other youth activities. 

We have a great new advocate in the Parks and
Recreation Department. The new director of Parks and
Recreation, Dwight Curtis, is more than willing, in
fact he is insistent, to hear from the many and
various youth organizations. Refreshingly, he is
open-minded and wants to look at how we can all work
together, and how we can maximize the opportunities
for our children. Our greatest concern, however, is
that he will not have the resources to accomplish our
goals. Because the full Hamilton fund is tied up in
the one gym, the situation will be no different in
Moscow. We will continue to have inadequate field
space, inadequate court space, and inadequate youth
facilities. It truly is folly to continue on the
current course. 

I encourage you to get more involved in this issue. If
we are to have any of the Hamilton bequest to be
effectively used for youth activities, we need to stop
and/or seriously alter the current plans. Please
consider attending the special public hearing with the
City Council and Mayor scheduled for Tuesday, May 27th
at 7:00 pm in City Hall Council Chambers, 2nd Floor,
206 East 3rd Street, Moscow.  

 
 For more information go to www.stopthegym.com 

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