Gambling money rolls in, but then state diverts other funds

...That's because the state officials who approved casino gambling in 2008 — Gov. Martin O'Malley and his Democratic allies in the General Assembly — didn't require that school aid keep pace with the growth in gambling.

State budget analysts say the money from the casino-fueled Education Trust Fund is, in fact, going to schools. But that stream has allowed the governor and lawmakers to take money that once went to schools and redirect it to pay salaries, fund roadwork and support other government programs and services.

"While gambling was sold as a way to bring in more money for education, it really hasn't been putting more money in schools," said Benjamin Orr, director of the Maryland Center on Economic Policy. "We've essentially invested the same amount of money in our schools that we would have with or without legalized gambling."...

...When the General Assembly was considering casino gambling in 2009, Del. Curt Anderson sponsored a bill that would have forced state officials to use the trust fund money to increase funding for education. It died in committee...

 http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/bs-md-casino-education-20170121-story.html

N.J. soccer club accuses top artificial turf company of fraud

The owner of a New Jersey soccer facility claims in a new class-action lawsuit the leading U.S. maker of artificial sports fields, FieldTurf, repeatedly brushed off complaints about his failing field and told him conditions would improve over time.

The complaint, filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court for New Jersey, is the third proposed class-action to be brought by customers in the state against FieldTurf in response to an NJ Advance Media investigation that detailed potential fraud.

The investigation found FieldTurf and its executives for years earned ballooning profits as sales of its popular turf, Duraspine, skyrocketed, all the while knowing fields were falling apart and would not live up to marketing and advertising claims.

Despite warnings and candid internal discussions, FieldTurf officials kept selling Duraspine to cities, towns, school districts and private companies across the country, and never changed their sales pitches. The turf was phased out in 2012...

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2017/01/post_404.html

Current Councilmembers Who Gave Away an Entire MCPS High School for Free: Floreen, Leventhal, Berliner, Navarro, Elrich #educationfirst #MaybeNot

Is your local Montgomery County Public School overcrowded? Are your children spending their days in classroom trailers instead of school buildings?

Peary High School, Rockville, Maryland

You can thank the Fabulous 5 that are still on the Montgomery County Council for the loss of public school classrooms.  As recently as 2010, current Councilmembers Nancy Floreen, George Leventhal, Roger Berliner, Nancy Navarro and Marc Elrich all voted to give away an entire MCPS high school building for free.

State Delegate Ben Kramer and State Senator Roger Manno were instrumental in shepherding this sweetheart deal through the Maryland Board of Public Works.

And let's not forget the person behind this deal, County Executive Ike Leggett who made sure that public school children were robbed of classrooms at a time when MCPS was using over 400 classroom trailers.  The deal that County Executive Ike Leggett sealed called for the buyer to only pay for the land and get the entire public high school building (a building that was bought and paid for with your property taxes) for free.

#EducationFirst
#FooledYou 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  

 Wednesday, Dec. 1, 2010

County Council approves sale of Peary High School

Andrews opposes deal, but many in Aspen Hill say decision was appropriate

by Erin Cunningham and Margie Hyslop | Staff Writers

Montgomery County government will sell the former Robert E. Peary High School to the Melvin J. Berman Hebrew Academy despite protests from the county's Board of Education...
...The County Council voted 8-1 on Tuesday to allow the sale, which is expected to become official in the next several weeks.
Councilman Philip M. Andrews (D-Dist. 3) of Gaithersburg voted against the sale, saying the site in Aspen Hill could be needed for a public school in the future.
The council's decision ratifies a deal proposed by County Executive Isiah Leggett (D) to sell the 19.5-acre site in Aspen Hill for $1.9 million. It includes a provision making it possible for the county to repurchase and occupy the site five years after a judge decides the county needs it for a school.
The state's Board of Public Works, which is composed of Maryland's governor, comptroller and treasurer, must sign off on the deal...

However, Leggett's plan has drawn criticism from those who say the price is too low and from the county school board, which says the move is ill-advised given public school enrollment is growing, and large tracts of land are scarce in the downcounty area.
Those claims were disputed Tuesday by some council members who said the school system has 51 unused school buildings and no immediate need for the Hebrew Academy site.
"The school system is accustomed to having it all," said Councilman George L. Leventhal (D-At large) of Takoma Park. "The school system wants everything. It wants its cake and to eat it, too."
Council Vice President Valerie Ervin (D-Dist. 5) of Silver Spring said Monday the school system was not persuasive in making its case for the school. Ervin is expected to be sworn in as council president next week...

...Leventhal said it was not convincing to hear school officials say they don't need the site now, but might at some unspecified date...

 http://www.gazette.net/stories/12012010/rocknew220733_32534.php

U.S. Soccer Star Abby Wambach: Playing on [Artificial] Turf a 'Nightmare'

"Hopefully there will never be another World Cup on [Artificial] Turf."

 

US Women's National Team Players Discuss Turf 

When the U.S. women's soccer team launched its quest for a World Cup Monday night against Australia, there were 30,000 fans in the stands at Winnipeg Stadium— but not a single blade of grass on the field.
Despite their protests, the best female soccer players in the world are being forced to play all the games of the 2015 Women's World Cup on artificial turf.
"It's kind of a nightmare," said star U.S. forward Abby Wambach. She said that playing on turf "affects everything" from the way the ball bounces to the bloody "turf burns" the surface leaves on legs and arms.
All the tournament's fields — six surfaces in six cities — are made of turf. Wambach and players from Germany, Brazil and Spain filed a lawsuit in Canada last year that demanded FIFA and the Canadian Soccer Association install natural grass in the arenas, but the players said they dropped the suit earlier this year because they had filed it too late and FIFA wouldn't budge.
This Women's World Cup will be the first ever played on turf, and according to Wambach no major men's tournament has ever been played on turf.

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/sports/us-soccer-star-abby-wambach-playing-turf-nightmare-n371906

 

This is why soccer should be played on grass! pic.twitter.com/fsNGi27oRY

— Sydney Leroux Dwyer (@sydneyleroux) April 15, 2013

FieldTurf Contributes $1,500 to MD Delegate's Campaign #artificialturf

From the Maryland Campaign Finance Database:

10/28/2013

FieldTurf
175 North Industrial Blvd, Calhoun, GA 30701- Business/Group/Organization
Check 1500.00
Walker, Jay Friends of

County Committed to Replacing Artificial Turf at Churchill HS at No Cost to Churchill Parents #backroomdeal

On June 3, 2014, the Montgomery County Board of Education will vote to approve a secret deal to put an artificial turf football field at Churchill High School.  You remember Churchill High School, the one that loved their natural grass field?  
The neighbors to this high school have no clue what is about to happen to their neighborhood. They haven't been told that the stadium usage will increase dramatically and increase traffic, noise, lighting etc... The field will be locked up and neighborhood use will be ended at this public field.  According to this e-mail neighbors are not the "appropriate parties." to discuss this "deal."

The President of the Churchill High School Booster Club has posted an e-mail to a neighborhood listserv to "allay the concerns."  In that e-mail we learn that when the Churchill artificial turf football field needs to be replaced it will be replaced by "the County...at no cost to Churchill."  Where is that little nugget written down? 

In response to the recent emails re the turf field at Churchill, I thought I would share an email of the facts of the ongoing year+ long process from the Churchill Booster Club President.  Many parties have been working on this issue with Montgomery County athletics for the last couple of years:   

To allay the concerns expressed in your email, please consider the following, which reflects what actually is going on: During the 2013-2014 school year, a partnership made up of three parties -- Bethesda Lacrosse Association, Potomac Soccer Association and Churchill's own Booster Club -- responded to an RFP issued by Montgomery County to replace the current grass field in Churchill's football stadium with a turf field.   

Approval of that partnership's response is scheduled to be voted on by the Board of Education on June 3.  If approved,  Churchill will get a turf field that will be at least 80% funded by Bethesda Lacrosse and Potomac Soccer.  In return for their funding, BLA and PSA collectively will get 1000 hours of field use during times when  Churchill athletic teams are not using the field.  The specific hours of usage will be determined following a Board of Education vote in favor of the partnership's proposal. 

Assuming a favorable vote, the Churchill Athletic Department will work with PSA and BLA to determine a schedule that satisfies each constituent's interests.   As for your reference to maintenance costs, the partnership, along with CHS's Athletic Department, has taken into account the amount of savings that Churchill will realize by having a turf field rather than a grass field, and the savings are substantial and significant.   

Moreover, after eight to ten years, well within the anticipated life span of a turf field, the County will replace the field at no cost to Churchill.   Despite what the CJMS Wall may have inaccurately conveyed, the installation of a turf field has been seriously considered and studied by the appropriate parties who have determined that approval of the partnership's proposal is clearly in  Churchill's  best interests.  The next step to enable the anticipated results to become a reality is the school board's approval of the partnerships' proposal on June 3.  

– Larry Tannenbaum – WCHS Booster Club President

Fox: I'd prefer grass. It saves our players' legs. But if need be, we'll go indoors or on their synthetic surface."

What's this? The Super Bowl coaches would prefer that their players practice on natural grass?  

...But Carroll echoed Fox's sentiments in saying he'd prefer to work his players on natural grass, if possible, and practice outdoors to prepare to play in the cold Sunday...

 http://espn.go.com/nfl/playoffs/2013/story/_/id/10357094/super-bowl-xlviii-snowy-practice-fields-concern-john-fox-pete-carroll

Unions, pension board unhappy O’Malley cut $100M in promised payment to retirement fund

Unions, pension board unhappy O’Malley cut $100M in promised payment to retirement fund

Read more: http://marylandreporter.com/2014/01/17/unions-pension-board-unhappy-omalley-cut-100m-in-promised-payment-to-retirement-fund/#ixzz2qgMosmMx 
Under Creative Commons License: Attribution

FieldTurf gets another MCPS Contract! Cost comes in at $205,178 OVER BUDGETED $1.1 Million!!!

"There's a sucker born every minute."

It's another no bid artificial turf purchase for Montgomery County Public Schools and YOU will be footing the bill!

Yes, the Board of Education approved a plan to pay $1.1 million for the Wootton High School artificial turf football field.  As usual, MCPS took NO COMPETITIVE BIDS and immediately awarded the contract to FieldTurf.  

What is FieldTurf going to charge for the Wootton High School artificial turf football field?

$1,305,178

Who is going to pay the difference? Why you are, of course.  Montgomery County taxpayers will once again be opening their wallets to pay for another no bid artificial turf purchase by MCPS.  Why exactly is it that MCPS doesn't have to put these massive purchases out for competitive bids? 

Below is Superintendent Starr's memo on the purchase for the June 24, 2013, Board of Education meeting.  You can ignore Superintendent Starr's smoke and mirrors. The "revenue" from this field will never cover the cost difference.  And, in any event, the bill has to be paid way before any revenue could ever be generated.

You can also ignore Superintendent Starr's ramblings about Keystone Purchasing Network.  We already know the Keystone prices are HIGHER than what FieldTurf charges when they submit COMPETITIVE BIDS. 

Why is it again that artificial turf football fields by FieldTurf only cost $614,958.84 in other jurisdictions but $1.3 MILLION in Montgomery County? 

  06.2.4 Award Ctrct Wootton HS Turf by Parents' Coalition of Montgomery County, Maryland

Council Approves Lead & Zinc Infused Plastic Grass for Wootton High School

As expected, the Montgomery County Council approved the installation of 120 tons of ground up rubber waste and a football sized sheet of plastic grass for the Wootton High School field.

This time, however, there was one dissenter on the Council.  Councilmember Marc Elrich voted against this project.  Councilmember Elrich cited concerns about the known zinc run off from artificial turf fields, known PAH levels that vaporize, lack of storm water testing, and the fact that during the storm last year the University of Maryland moved a game from UM artificial turf to the natural grass field at the Soccer Plex.

The Council did not discuss the continuing failure of MCPS to follow Maryland Education Act Procurement law. As usual, MCPS is not putting out an RFP for this project, is not taking competitive bids, and is grossly overpaying for a product.  In this case, however, the parties getting hosed are a private club and the Wootton parents as this field is not being paid for out of tax revenues.

Wootton High awaits Montgomery council approval for lead infused artificial turf

Oh my gosh!  Did the Montgomery County Council's Education Committee completely forget to discuss the lead content in the artificial turf plastic field that will be put down at Wootton High School?   Yes, they did. And, what about the testing of the water that runs off the fields?  They must have had to hurry off to a lunch meeting.  Those topics weren't mentioned.

Councilmember Hans Riemer asked for the lead content of FieldTurf artificial turf fields in MCPS in 2011.  But, it's only 2013.  We can wait another 5 or 10 years to get the answer.

Below is the link to the Gazette's coverage of Monday, January 28th's Council Education Committee meeting. Lots of topics were skipped.

Gazette:  Council committee gives its OK to use of private funds to reconstruct field

You can watch the actual video here.

No worries.  This overpriced, lead infused, plastic grass sheet with 120 tons of ground up tires will be installed at Wootton High School this summer. The full Council will approve this project as they have approved all artificial turf projects without reviewing any contracts, bids or evaluating if this project complied in any way, shape or form with Maryland Education Act procurement law.  The "crumb" rubber stamp of approval is ready for action.

Guest Post: Why does FieldTurf have this unreasonable usage restriction in its warranty?

The Parents' Coalition received the following comment from a source in the artificial turf industry.  The poor person doesn't realize that here in Montgomery County our elected officials can't do math and don't like facts.  But, they are trying anyway to get across a point.  So here is their comment: 

Does everyone realize Wootton High School students will only be able to use the field for a max of 2000 hours per year?  According to the deal, the Bethesda Soccer Club is paying $900,000 of the approx. $1.1 million in return for 900-1000 hours / year of use.  The FieldTurf warranty only covers use up to 3,000 hours per year.  A copy of the warranty is part of the Towson University document package that was posted about 1 month ago on the site. 

Let's assume the field is used 300 days per year.  That leaves barely 6 hours per day of use for Wootton students when you also take the 150 hours / year use promised for community use.  If you base the usage on 365 days that leaves 5 hours / day for Wootton students.  Same for Walter Johnson HS students since this "deal" was modeled after that one.  Is this even more than the existing grass field??  Clearly, the actual use will exceed the maximum usage allowed by the FieldTurf and the warranty will be as useless as a screen door on a submarine... 

Why does FieldTurf have this unreasonable usage restriction in its warranty?  Why wouldn't Montgomery County consider other less expensive synthetic turf vendors that do not have this restrictive language in their warranties?  What happens in 8 yrs (if it lasts that long) when the field will need to be removed, disposed and replaced?  Who assumes that very significant cost?  I doubt the Bethesda Soccer Club will be picking up the 500k tab to remove, dispose and replace the turf.  How can the members of the Board of Education neglect to take these very high future costs into consideration?

Video: Council LOVES Overpriced, No-Bid, Lead Infused Plastic Grass!

Click this link ED - 1/28/13 to watch today's Montgomery County Council Education Committee approving a new plastic grass field for Wootton High School.

Here are some quotes from the video:

MCPS Director of Construction James Song: "it's a win-win situation"
"4 months design and permitting through City of Rockville"
"Booster Club submitted a commitment letter"
"Terms and cost are consistent with other projects at Richard Montgomery..."

Councilmember Phil Andrews: "I don't think concerns have proven out at this point, with the exception of extreme heat..."

Valerie Ervin:  "We were asking for certain things to be done..."

Dr. Kathleen Michels:  "lead particulates in the breathing zone" of players
"Who will pay for replacement costs for Richard Montgomery High School?" [Now that partner is gone.]

At the end of the video, did anyone hear Councilmember Ervin call for a vote? No? She just spoke for the committee.  Fascinating how she can read minds.

Plastic Grass for PG

The Washington Post:  Prince George's school board rescinds vote against state bills

The Prince George’s County Board of Education voted to rescind its opposition to a state bill that creates a task force to study the composition of the school board and another measure that requires the installation of artificial turf fields at county high schools...

...Len Lucchi, the board’s lobbyist, told members that Del. Jay Walker (D-Prince George’s), who is sponsoring the turf field bill, is reviewing how Anne Arundel County paid for its fields. Walker’s original bill would have cost the school system $18 million to have the turf fields installed by 2018.
Lucchi said Walker is considering an amendment that would require the money to come from county or open-space funding.
County Executive Rushern L. Baker III (D) has not take a position on either piece of legislation, according to Christian Rhodes, his education liaison.

"Disgusting" - Money for individuals with disabilities diverted to artificial turf in Howard County

Delegate Warren Miller speaks to the diversion of tax funds collected through the alcohol tax.   The alcohol tax was sold as a way to raise funds to be used to benefit individuals with disabilities.

Instead, millions of the dollars collected were diverted to install 3 new artificial turf football fields in Howard County.

Delegate Miller says, "I think that's disgusting." 

Listen to video at minute 12:00 for Delegate Miller's comment on the diversion of funds by the Maryland legislature. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWS09sQAZ_U&feature=share&list=PLqlirXCECC7b-nASvdeCLdZymGfNBYsM8

FieldTurf partner contributions to Martin O'Malley Campaign Fund

One of the FieldTurf "partners" in Maryland  is Huron Consulting.  "Partner" means that these companies are the exclusive installers of FieldTurf products in Maryland.  

The installation of FieldTurf artificial turf projects paid for by Maryland government entities are not put out for competitive bids as far as the Parents' Coalition has been able to determine.  For taxpayers, that has meant that the plastic grass purchase is not put out for competitive bids among plastic grass vendors, and the construction services to dig up the field and install the plastic grass are also not put out for competitive bids.  Huron Consulting is one of the companies that benefits from this exclusive arrangement.

Huron's principal officer is Richard (Dick) Hurney .  The current address of the business is 20410 Century Blvd.

From the Maryland Campaign finance database:

10/11/2007	Hurney, Richard	20300 Century Blvd., Suite 105, Germantown, MD 20974-	Individual			Credit Card	1000.00	O'Malley, Martin Friends Of	2007 Baltimore City Pre-General
10/07/2009	Hurney, Richard	20300 Century Blvd, Ste 105, Germantown, MD 20874-9175	Individual			Credit Card	1000.00	O'Malley, Martin Friends Of	2010 Annual

20300 Century Blvd  is previous address for Huron Consulting.

PG Senator Douglas J.J. Peters on plastic grass

Prince George's County Senator Douglas J.J. Peters has sponsored legislation to force the Prince George's Board of Education to install plastic football fields at all Prince George's high schools in the next 6 years.  Below is the public statement Senator Peters made regarding his proposed legislation.

Notice that the statement makes no mention of the 120 tons of ground up used tires per field, no mention of the excessive heat that is generated from plastic football fields, no mention of the grading that is required to construct a plastic grass football field, and no mention of the limit of the use of the field under the manufacturers warranty.  Most interesting is that here is a bill that is being proposed for the spending of tax dollars and the bill's sponsor doesn't mention one word about cost.

2012 December 1 Statement on artificial turf legislation in Prince George's County

PATCH: O'Malley: Killing Potomac Organic Farm for Soccer Fields 'Big Mistake'

It's an election year, and so we have the following news:

PATCH article:  http://potomac.patch.com/articles/breaking-governor-o-malley-soccer-fields-on-brickyard-a-big-mistake

Letter to Governor O'Malley here.

Governor O'Malley's response to the Montgomery County Board of Education is below:

08-12-12 Brandman CE Leggett Final Letter

Md. public-private partnership bill stirs debate

From The Carroll County Times:

The House of Delegates on Saturday gave an initial nod to Gov. Martin O'Malley's proposed policy governing public-private partnerships on big projects like roads and public buildings, but some lawmakers heatedly objected to a new provision ensuring speedy legal proceedings for participants in such a partnership.

The change would allow legal appeals to be heard on an expedited track before the Court of Special Appeals, the state's intermediate appellate court. It was not part of the initial proposal by the O'Malley administration, but was added by a House panel.

Delegate Luiz Simmons, D-Montgomery, argued that the provision could confer special legal benefits on a "special group of fat cats.”

“In my opinion, what we are about to do is to become legislators in a banana republic, where they routinely interfere with the judicial process on behalf of special friends and special interests, and we are not covering ourselves in honor by doing this,” Simmons said.

To read the entire article go here. To thank Del. Simmons (D-District 17) go to luiz.simmons@house.state.md.us. Or, call 301-858-3037 or 1-800-492-7122 ext. 3037 (toll-free no.)

Bill would let Maryland Seek out Private Partners for Public Projects

From the Washington Post. The vote is tomorrow. Didn't know about this one either? Gee whiz. Isn't that YOUR delegate smiling in the photo at left?

Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley has joined a little-noticed wave of Democratic governors gravitating toward the privatization of government facilities — a practice once anathema to blue states and their often-powerful public employee unions.

A bill proposed by O’Malley and being shepherded through the legislature by Lt. Gov. Anthony G. Brown (D) follows laws approved recently in California and Illinois and under consideration in a half-dozen other Democratic-controlled states. In the name of job creation, it would make it Maryland’s policy to seek out private partners to build, operate and maintain roads, bridges, schools, government buildings and most any other public asset.

And:

But Maryland’s methods would make the process ripe for corruption, critics say, and even upend an existing lawsuit challenging one of the state’s biggest plans.

To appease labor, the shift would come in a distinctly Democratic mold. Under legislation expected to come to a vote Monday in the House of Delegates, any jobs generated as the state hands off public assets would carry requirements that private enterprises pay living wages, ensure minority business involvement and put in place other labor-friendly protections.

And:

The bill would give the state broad powers to negotiate deals outside the established procurement system and to decide how taxpayer money would be sent to developers to pay for large, upfront investments.

‘Dangerous retreat’
“It would let state agencies circumvent competitive bidding altogether simply by having a government official designate a project as a ‘public-private partnership,’ ” said Scott Livingston, a lawyer who helped write Maryland’s procurement laws after a series of corruption scandals — including one that led to the 1973 resignation of Vice President Spiro T. Agnew (R), a former Maryland governor. “This is a dangerous retreat from established safeguards.”

To read the whole story go here. Don't like what you're hearing? That's ok, elections are only two years away.