Saturday, July 4, 2009

Privatizing public park areas?

Should certain (ball) fields in Woodstock parks be locked and off-limits for play?

45% No
55% Yes

Thanks to the 40 readers who voted in this survey.

If 45% voted that ball fields in public parks should not be off-limits for play (practice), then the Parks District and City Hall ought to be re-examining its position on locking off major ballfields in parks and prohibiting public use.

It's not a "majority" decision. It's about what is "right". Parks are supported by the taxpayers. As such, they are public parks. To create them with taxpayer monies and then charge fees to leagues and lock them off for league play (and against public use for practice or play) is not the right decision.

If the City wants to make them available at certain times for league play and charge fees for that play and use of public property, that is certainly an option. Apparently, what the City is doing now is closing fields in public parks and then scarfing up fees and allowing select organizations to enjoy them as if they were private fields.

Maybe such ballfields should be created elsewhere as private investments. Let the leagues pay to play there, and leave the parks open to the public.

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