WCM really needs your help

Mrs. Duggan, Yes an ethics investigation is possible, depending on how pissed off you make the Mayor. I hope that WCM's books and Kerry's records are in order. I saw this as a problem when you first mentioned it. Politics can get ugly and vindivctive. An ethics charge would only be valid should Kerry have charged his WCM coaching time to his city time sheet. The city is his employer and his timesheets are kept by them and they have to maintain those records according to state and local laws, and should be auditing them. If they use revenue generated by the fees that WCM pays to pay him and the city allow him to participate as their coach there is most likely no ethical breach on Kerry's part - he is only doing what his job description and his supervisor allow. If the city is paying him as a part time employee with the acceptance that WCM will pay the other 50% then, again he is not violating anything. If the mayor wants to open an ethics investigation - he/she may certainly do so, but this would most likely expose the city and look like a witch hunt should the investigation be determined to have been undertaken as a retaliatory act. The precedent may have been set as this seems to have been a long-term relationship, one that has benefited all parties.

Mrs. Duggan, Mr. Mandrake has raised a couple of a valid points. Kerry should privatize. I'm sure that most of his team would follow, even with a modest increase in dues. He can still receive medical benefits, however, he will need to pay for it. Instead of a pie in the sky idea of building a new facility, perhaps the effort should be in relocating. Yes an ethics investigation is possible, depending on how pissed off you make the Mayor. I hope that WCM's books and Kerry's records are in order. I saw this as a problem when you first mentioned it. Politics can get ugly and vindivctive. Name calling ego bloated humans has no positive effect. They are used to it. It doesn't help your case. Kerry has served the city and community well for three decades. Maybe now is the time for him to move on and make some money off of masters swimming.

Reading this with interest -- I grew up in Lafayette where my parents still reside, and now live in Colorado Springs. This morning in the locker room after master's I heard that our aquatic center, closed at end of March, will reopen in September. Supposedly a 'swim school' of sorts is taking over operation of it and 3 of the outdoor city pools (which are basically summer only). Don't know anything more than that; how they arranged for it, but I heard Colo Springs was subsidizing our pools to the tune of over a million per year, but now this 'swim school' may end up paying the city?

Politicians and bureaucrats are fond of launching 'ethics' investigations in their endless (and fruitless) quest to find out what the word means...

stinkwater makes some valid points in his post. Bill*, This is the smartest thing I have ever seen you write. Good job.

Mandrake- You do a whole lot of assuming. I know exactly what's going on. I am up in arms because a very good friend of mine, and the program he has spent 30 years building, is being summarily dismissed. This will leave him with no medical coverage. He's only 52. We pay our dues in December. It's May and I am a very busy person. When I pay for something it's done. I wasn't aware that you needed exact numbers. If you care, I will send them to you. And no one is using the sentimental arguments you mentioned about Kerry as a tactic. Everyone is using cold, hard facts. Sending Kerry into an ethics investigation, are you kidding? There is nothing hidden about his job to the city. They know full well that his salary is supplemented by our team. How is that a violation of ethics? Kerry's mission is not to make money off of masters. Maybe it should be. I'm guessing you don't know him. The city mgr. I mentioned is long gone and doing very well elsewhere. BTW, again you assume incorrectly, that the information I got about his payoff was from him, it was not. I know a lot of people who work for the city. The only thing I got from his wife and his son were that they were sad they had to leave. I remember them living in an apt as their house had already sold, and the city mgr. had to begin work in the new city. The mom and my student stayed behind to finish out the school year. A very nice family. I am not in the habit of calling people names in public, but I make an exception in this case. I am beyond sick of politics and the toll it takes on peoples' lives. I could really care less if they get wind of it. I'm sure he's been called worse. The city manager is quite hated throughout the city and me adding my opinion isn't going to change anything. If only I had that power. The only thing worse than messing with my family is messing with my swimming family. If I come off too strong, that's because that's how I feel. And I won't apologize for it.

The City of Menlo Park's Burgess Aquatic Center is operated by a private entity headed Tim Sheeper, a very popular coach of triathletes and swimmers. I believe Tim's original interest in this concept was generated by the need for pool space for his master's group. This eventually led to Tim offering to run all the activities at the pool for the City. They are currently in the third or fourth year of this arrangement. WCM might take a look at how this works as a possible model.