How to spend $1 million in a blink of an eye

No, this has nothing to do with Malcolm Gladwell's book, Blink.

On Tuesday, March 10, the Board of Education is expected to vote on installation of artificial turf at Walter Johnson HS.

The item is on the consent agenda. If you blink - you will miss all the discussion on the topic of
1. Whether artificial turf is appropriate
2. Does MCPS have the money to spend on this project
3. Should we enter into a long term lease with an outside entity.

Don't worry, apparently the Board of Education feels so confident that this project is needed, its not necessary to have any discussion or other public views concerning safety, health, or financing. How do we know that? The BOE has scheduled ten other items at the same time. That's 27 seconds per project approved on the consent agenda.

But, have no fear, the County Council will come to the rescue. At its February 23 education committee hearing, the Ed Committee received an update of the newly installed turf project at Richard Montgomery(see packet page 18), and with the only caveat that the project will come back to the county council for appropriating the contribution from the Bethesda Soccer Club, the Walter Johnson preferred partner (see page 19).

The bottomless checkbook continues. Something is wrong in our county when those entrusted with the public purse spend so freely and without any oversight.