POOL PROFITS PUZZLE TORMALA

Second Ward Commissioner Rick Tormala stated Tuesday that he was surprised that the proponents of a private plan to pay for the operation of City pools expected to profit from their efforts.

A pair of marketing flacks, Greg McAleenan and Joe Jones, presented the City Commission with a plan to raise $1.3 million to operate the City's pools this summer through sponsorships by local businesses and organizations.  The pitchmen offered their services in exchange for a 10% commission on the money raised.  In the end the City Commission agreed provided that McAleenan and Jones raise enough to keep at least three of the City's six pools open.

Tormala complained:  "I said last week I'm tempted to take money from the devil to keep the pools open, not give money to the devil."  Well, I know McAleenan and Jones dabble in the dark arts of hucksterism, but I think their public-spirited proposal qualifies these gentlemen as something more than "devils".  Tormala went on further with his astonishment that these two actually wanted to be compensated for their efforts.

Actually I'm a bit astonished by Tormala's astonishment.  He's usually more hard-headed and practical-minded than this.  Perhaps there are some problemmatic details in McAleenan's and Jones's request for compensation that properly concern the commissioner, but it is not apparent from what is presently known.  The bottom line is if the pools can be kept open through private sponsorship, there's nothing wrong in principle in compensating the people who make that happen.