Close the public pool and bus them to the Y

[Anita Garcia]

Close the public pool and bus them to the Y

The solution to a $50,000 crack in the only public pool in Covington, Louisiana is to spend $5,000.00 to bus the children "who would normally use the pool" to the YMCA claims Covington City Councilman Lee Alexius. Meanwhile, City Councilman Trey Blackall is looking for "a nice Republican warehouse" to store a statute of Pres. Ronald Reagan until the City's 1.3 million fountain park is being built.

The City of Covington plans to spend $8 million dollars to build two separate "recreational centers" in the city limits. Neither center has plans for a public pool. The only public pool in Covington, Louisiana is located at Rev. Peter Atkins Park. Currently, city officials claim that pool has a crack that could cost the city between $35,000.00 and $50,000 to repair.

Reverend Peter Atkins Park is located in an area historically linked to the civil rights movement in Louisiana. The park is located next to Bethel Reform Church. During the civil rights movement in the 1960's separatists burned a cross in front of Rev. Atkins's church, Bethel Reform.

Years later, the community of Covington joined together and designated the city owned area next to the church for public use and named the park after Reverend Peter Atkins. The park has a basketball court, public pool, benches and playground equipment. It is the location for many family and neighborhood events. Bethel Reform Church is the current location of local NAACP meetings.

Rather than use some of the $8 million dollars designated for recreation to repair or replace the pool at the park, City Councilman Lee Alexius suggests busing children "who would normally use the pool" to the local YMCA. Mr. Alexius' suggestion is insulting and reveals his ignorance surrounding our use of the public pool.

As a parent, I choose to be with my child while she is swimming. As a parent, I choose to expose my child to the diversity offered at a public pool.

Rather than address the necessity of a working public pool in Covington, Louisiana, City Councilman Trey Blackall is searching for a "nice Republican warehouse" to store a statute of Pres. Ronald Reagan. I find his lack of interest in the needs of our community insulting and revealing of his ignorance of the significance of a public community pool.

A wading fountain does not present my child with the opportunity to learn how to swim. And a wading fountain around a statute of Pres. Ronald Reagan does nothing to honor the sacrifices made by others in our community during the violent civil rights movement.

Eight million dollars every where and nary a drop to spare for the simple repair of the only public pool in the entire Parish.

*Rev. Peter Atkins Park was the original location of the relief efforts of the Louisiana Activists Network and Veterans for Peace Chapter 116.

[redqueen]

1. A statue of Regan?

For goodness' sake, WHY?

[Anita Garcia]

2. beats me, here is the link to one of the articles

<http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/frontpage/index.ssf?/base/news-18/116711533452420.xml&coll=1>

[SoCalDem]

7. because Grover Norquist is a man on a mission

he has made it his life's work to see that EVERY community has a memrial to Ronal Reagan.:puke:

pool? don;t need no steeenkin pool.. what you NEED is a statue of St. Ronnie of Reagan..and damned be the cost..

Personally I think it;s shameful for Lousisana for not TAKING all "discretionary funds" (like this boondoggle) and converting it to restoration of vital infrastructure for the levee-failure areas.

[redqueen]

8. Amen! n/t

[valerief]

3. The solution is ALWAYS to use fuel instead of actually fixing the problem. nt

[Anita Garcia]

4. Not sure what you mean by that

Who is using the fuel "them" or "us"?
We are doing what we can - There is a meeting Thursday night prompted by our protest to discuss a solution.
The "they" I refer to will have to answer to the public (we are a minority, but pretty vocal) as all of them are up for re-election. Qualifying for their seats ends on February 6th - hence the timing of the meeting.

[valerief]

5. Why not fix the pool instead of burning diesel fuel? That's what

I meant. Some of that 8 million could be used to fix the pool. Instead some is spent on running buses (burning fuel) and inconveniencing residents.

[Anita Garcia]

10. Good point!

[MadHound]

6. You know, 1,300 pounds of melted bronze would probably patch that pool up quite well.

Just sayin';)

[Anita Garcia]

11. I would like to use that argument

Unfortunately, the statute and all of it's bronze-ness was donated.
It is our tax dollars that will be used for the fountain and the building of the mega-resort-recreation complex.

FYI- Katrina damaged the roof of our local "recreation" complex located near the National Guard post. Immediately (I mean literally, immediately) after Katrina our city gave the recreation complex to the National Guard for some money. So, now we have nothing, absolutely nothing.

To have an event we have to pay to rent the Covington Center. Before the NG takeover we could use the Community "recreation" Center for free.
The NG takeover is why the NG is donating $400,000 dollars worth of free work on baseball fields (we lost them in the NG takeover).
The new mega-resort-recreation complex will be located too far for our kids to walk to safely. And, we have no idea when they will begin building it, much less finish it.

[porphyrian]

9. Just make a memorial to the victims of poverty and put it in a fountain of blood.

The memorial can be at any of the large settlements of homeless people that has been violently vacated by law enforcement officers. It's sister prison can be a private medium security prison that uses inmates to work tobacco fields for Phillip Morris.