[Vision2020] Artificial Money

[Carl Westberg]

Timothy writes: "You will see more than likely, a corporate sponsorship on 
the side of that new building in Boise.  I am glad UI does not have that 
problem with the Kibbie."  Back when the Kibbie Dome was built, there was a 
long-running joke that it should be painted to look like a beer can laying 
on it's side.  Maybe the time has come to revisit that idea.  The Miller 
Genuine Draft Dome?   Hell, we could use the bucks.                          
                                                                             
                                                                             
                                                                             
                     Carl Westberg Jr.

>From: Timothy Rigsby <timo5277 at uidaho.edu>
>To: vision2020 at moscow.com
>Subject: [Vision2020] Artificial Money
>Date: Wed, 30 Mar 2005 15:33:12 -0800
>
>Like I said before and I will say again, it does not matter who is paying 
>for this
>turf installation.  The part that angers me the most is the fact that the 
>day lay-offs
>were announced just so happened to be the same day a call for proposals was 
>advertised
>in the Daily News for installation bids.
>Timing could not have been worse.  This whole turf fiasco is such a slap in 
>the face
>for the people who have lost or will lose their jobs.  Yes, I understand 
>that the money
>spent on turf could not and will not be spent on the 27 jobs lost and the 
>40 vacancies,
>however for UI to announce such an expenditure the same day it announces 
>lay-offs is
>really lame.
>
>I have not and still do not support the decision to replace grass with 
>field turf.  Not
>only from a fiscal standpoint but also from the standpoint of 
>student-athlete safety.
>Grass fields are a lot safer and prevent more injuries to athletes than 
>field turf.
>Studies have shown this and still show that injuries increase to athletes 
>when they
>participate in activity on artificial turf.  Field turf, the style that was 
>chosen by
>UI, shows a decrease in injuries when compared to the original AstroTurf, 
>however, grass is still the safest playing surface when compared to any 
>type of turf.
>
>If you go to Boise St. or WSU you will not see every field full of turf.  
>Yes, WSU has
>field turf on two or three fields, but for the most part, the fields remain 
>seeded with
>grass.  Boise St. just announced an expansion of their football field.  
>This will
>include a new indoor football field that they promised to allow students to 
>use.
>Great, good for them, but they don't have near the financial problem that 
>UI has.  Plus
>their football program is doing really well and they have a lot of donor 
>support for
>this expansion.  You will not see the rest of the grass in Boise turned 
>into turf
>anytime soon.  You will see more than likely, a corporate sponsorship on 
>the side of
>that new building in Boise.  I am glad UI does not have that problem with 
>the Kibbie.
>Imagine the Cingular Wireless Kibbie Dome or the Jenny Craig Dome, not 
>impressive.
>
>Not only will installing turf remove something natural, grass for example, 
>but it will
>remove the job of the guy, or gal, who mows that grass, paints the lines, 
>and turns
>the water on.  Not to mention all of the other jobs like spraying for 
>weeds, and
>general maintenance.
>
>Even though the turf won't need to be mowed, watered, painted etc. this new 
>turf will
>still need to be swept and cleaned and additional rubber pellets will have 
>to be
>installed.  This will create one task for one individual as opposed to many 
>different
>tasks for a number of people, painting lines, mowing, spraying etc.
>
>Also, the paint that gets sold to UI for the lines on the grass, with the 
>turf,
>Columbia Paint won't need to sell anymore striping paint for football.  The 
>chemicals
>that Wilbur-Ellis sells to keep the grass green and the weeds gone, will 
>not be needed
>with turf.  How many local businesses will stock the rubber pellets that 
>will be
>used as in-fill on this new turf?  Which local mechanic will turn a wrench 
>on the
>sweeper that will keep this new turf clean?  The effects of this turf are 
>far reaching
>not only on campus, but into the community.
>
>This is a far reaching comparison, but GM did a similar thing when they 
>changed
>production of cars and trucks from using people to using machines.  
>Eliminates jobs, and hurts the people that rely on those jobs.
>
>Just the two cents from a student at UI who actually cares about the work 
>that has
>been and continues to be done by the tireless and overworked faculty, 
>staff,
>and maintenance people at UI.
>
>Tim Rigsby
>Student, University of Idaho
>College of Education, Division of HPERD
>Physical Education, School & Community Health Education, and Sport Science
>
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