From the “politicians who say one thing and do another” file: Milwaukee County Supervisor Lynne DeBruin (my supervisor) put out a press release today bemoaning the fact that the par 3 golf courses in Milwaukee County parks won’t be staffed this summer. The Journal Sentinal’s Steve Schultze dutifully copy and pasted her press release into a “news” item:
A new honor system of payment at Milwaukee County’s par-three golf courses aimed at saving money was criticized Monday as setting up the courses for failure.
Under the new system, the $7 adult fee for playing the courses on week days will be dropped into a black deposit box at the courses and those venues won’t be staffed Mondays through Fridays. Pavilions with rest rooms also will be closed at the par-three courses on week days, but portable toilets will be brought there.
Supervisor Lynne De Bruin said the change will likely lead to frequent instances of non-payment and run the risk of theft of the deposit boxes.
“We cannot base the county’s revenues on the honor system,” De Bruin said. “Everyone knows the best way to close a county facility is to depress its revenues.”
This new found outrage is convenient and utterly dishonest at the same time.
Back at the November 2009 meeting of the Milwaukee County Board when the issue of staffing for the Milwaukee County Parks system was on the line, Supervisor DeBruin sided with the County Executive and Supervisors Borkowski, Cesarz, Rice, Sanfelipp and Schmitt to get rid of four “Parks Maintenance Worker II” positions. (Amendment 1A063) Now she’s suddenly outraged that the Parks Dept. doesn’t have enough staff to man it’s par three courses!
It’s unfortunate that the par three courses are going to have be to on an ‘honor system’ this summer, there’s no doubt about that.
What’s even more unforuntate however is that an elected public servant would have the audacity to complain about the same staffing cuts to the Parks Department that she had no problem supporting a mere six months ago.
I live in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Milwaukee, WI with my wife Jen, our daughter Emerson, and sons Carter and Colton.
Typical flip flop Lynne. Maybe if she showed up to her job more than three times a month her staff could remind her what she voted for and against!