The Editor,
At last, we have some idea of the cost to Richmond citizens of the "Big Oweval"!
It surely is nice to know that our ever generous civic government can toss three million bucks to operate this joint, on top of the $2.5 million from the "Legacy Fund!" (so called).
Lets see now, the management proudly boasts of a membership of 4,000. Well, whoopee!
When you do the math, 4,000 "members" receive a subsidy of $5.5 million!
That, in my calculations, works out to $1,375 per body, which is kind of over the top in any ones language.
To put this in perspective, our ever generous council is driving the small civic clubs into the ground with their demands for 300 per cent rent increases.
Meanwhile, they are comfortable providing a subsidy of $1,375 per head for "Big Oweval big wig!"
Something is dead wrong here. If they want the small clubs to pay their own way, why are the Oweval types not being asked to make up the difference?
After all, it's only $1,375 a head, - if they want to play the game, its time to pay the fare!
Better yet, give the same $1,375 per head to the clubs in the activity centre.
If this isn't affordable (of course), remove the subsidy from the Oweval and let 'em sink or swim on the miserly $2.5 million doled out from the Olympic Legacy Fund.
It's time for the chickens to come home to roost on this boondogle, and for those responsible for this mess to be held to account for their stupidity.
Terrance Murphy Richmond
