The Prince George’s County House Delegation on Friday approved a state bill that would require the installation of artificial turf fields at all county high schools, after County Executive Rushern L. Baker III (D) rescinded his opposition to the measure.Article continues at The Washington Post.
The delegates voted 19-3 to approve the bill even though the county Board of Education said this week that it was against the measure...
...Walker’s original bill said county funds could be used to pay for the fields. He amended the bill Friday, allowing state school construction funds and money from the Open Space program, which pays for parks and recreation, to be used pay for the installation.
“Every dollar that is diverted for turf fields from the Board’s Capital Improvement Program deprives Prince George’s County school children from having a leaky roof fixed, a boiler repaired, or a grease trap replaced,” the school board wrote in a letter to the delegates...
Saturday, February 16, 2013
Prince George’s delegates approve artificial-turf fields at county high schools
Let's be clear about what has happened with this Bill. The PG Delegation voted for this bill because it was changed so that no PG County funds will be used. Instead of PG paying for their mandated plastic grass fields, we all will be paying. The money is now going to come from the State of Maryland.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
That everyone will pay for the PG fields is not true. The funds will come from the state's allocation to Prince George's Capital Improvement funds to schools and Program Open Space funds to Park & Planning. All counties get these allocations and their allocations will not change because of PG's artificial turf fields. What the bill has done is prioritize artificial turf fields over leaky school roofs in PG and artificial turf fields over park maintenance or open space acquisition in PG. So it only speaks to PG's foolishness. And, of course, PG is in a race with MC to get the very best athletic fields for those children.
ReplyDeleteHysterical. Oh, and where do those dollars come from? Wait...oh, I know ALL TAXPAYERS. So it is our dollars that will be spent on plastic grass and when there are other school needs we will be asked to contribute MORE to pay for INCREASES.
Delete