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[Hawkeye.243]

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[Rizzo]

Here in Harrison our Parks and Rec director keeps the city taxpayer funded fields locked up so the USSSA travel teams cant practice.

They are not a city affiliated team, and it cost the city money to maintain the facilities after said teams practice on them.

So, my question to you, why should they allow them to practice on their facilities? If the teams want to practice, start forking over some cash for the fields. That's typically how that works.

[Brian G]

Exactly.  It's no different than an AAU team using the high school gym.  Taxpayer owned entities have to be rented by law.

Now if that team happens to be of made up of all Harrison kids, you do have a little bit of a case.

[Rizzo]

Exactly.  It's no different than an AAU team using the high school gym.  Taxpayer owned entities have to be rented by law.

Now if that team happens to be of made up of all Harrison kids, you do have a little bit of a case.

Not really, unless they are sponsored by the city of Harrison.

[Hawkeye.243]

the kids on the travel teams may not all play city baseball but the ones who dont usually at least play basketball or football so it shouldnt matter. And all parents live and work in the city and paytaxes so dosent that mean they should be able to use them at anytime?

[Rizzo]

the kids on the travel teams may not all play city baseball but the ones who dont usually at least play basketball or football so it shouldnt matter. And all parents live and work in the city and paytaxes so dosent that mean they should be able to use them at anytime?

Nope, it does not.

[Hawkeye.243]

the kids on the travel teams may not all play city baseball but the ones who dont usually at least play basketball or football so it shouldnt matter. And all parents live and work in the city and paytaxes so dosent that mean they should be able to use them at anytime?

Nope, it does not.

you must be one of the three in town who believes city league is the only league too play and that USSSA is the devil. this team did play in 1 city Super Series tourney that made like 3 years ago . so since our leaders choose to not play USSSA and cant get any other series to make we are stuck having to go other places and have a complex go to waste.

[Rizzo]

the kids on the travel teams may not all play city baseball but the ones who dont usually at least play basketball or football so it shouldnt matter. And all parents live and work in the city and paytaxes so dosent that mean they should be able to use them at anytime?

Nope, it does not.

you must be one of the three in town who believes city league is the only league too play and that USSSA is the devil. this team did play in 1 city Super Series tourney that made like 3 years ago . so since our leaders choose to not play USSSA and cant get any other series to make we are stuck having to go other places and have a complex go to waste.

Lol, it's laughable that you'd even imply that I'd choose to live in Harrison.

[Fan1958]

Shouldn't matter.  If they are citizens of the city of Harrison, pay taxes and their tax dollars are used to maintain and furnish the fields they should be allowed to practice or play there.

Perhaps they should take a backseat to the teams that are in a league sponsored by the city but if there are times the USSSA teams can get together without otherwise interfering they should be allowed to use the fields.  Raise heck.  I'm with ya buddy.  My kid went to private school and I wouldn't dream of having a kid in the public schools but my tax dollars support the public schools.  Your tax dollars pay for these fields and you have every right to use them. 

I realize USSSA teams sometimes have kids that live outside the city where the team is based but if the majority are from Harrison they should have access to those fields. 

Remember the line from Top Gun:  "You don't own that airplane, the taxpayers own that airplane." 

The parks and rec director doesn't own the fields, the taxpayers do.  That minimum wage parks director has a little power and he's lording it over you.

[Rizzo]

Shouldn't matter.  If they are citizens of the city of Harrison, pay taxes and their tax dollars are used to maintain and furnish the fields they should be allowed to practice or play there.

Perhaps they should take a backseat to the teams that are in a league sponsored by the city but if there are times the USSSA teams can get together without otherwise interfering they should be allowed to use the fields.  Raise heck.  I'm with ya buddy.  My kid went to private school and I wouldn't dream of having a kid in the public schools but my tax dollars support the public schools.  Your tax dollars pay for these fields and you have every right to use them. 

I realize USSSA teams sometimes have kids that live outside the city where the team is based but if the majority are from Harrison they should have access to those fields. 

Remember the line from Top Gun:  "You don't own that airplane, the taxpayers own that airplane." 

The parks and rec director doesn't own the fields, the taxpayers do.  That minimum wage parks director has a little power and he's lording it over you.

Sadly, that's just not how it works.

Those fields are used for city sponsored activities, such as Little League, Cal Ripken, etc.

[ricepig]

It all depends on if theses organizations have contracts with the city to use the fields. In Jonesboro, the baseball boosters raised $100,000's in sponsorship money and tied up the fields, same as the soccer organization. The city provides a free program. But they have to use the old baseball fields. In the last 2 years, the baseball program has let players dual participate and has held USSSA tournaments at the new park. It can co-exist, but it takes work.

[Busman]

No, the taxpayers don't own the fields.  The City owns the field.  The City is a legally incoroporated political subdivision of the state that has rights and rsponsibilities. Fan1958, if there is an accident on the field and a subsequent lawsuit, the sherriff doesn't serve you with the subpoena, he serves the city employees that have a fiduciary responsibility to the citizens to manage the fields in the best interst of the taxpayers as a whole.

Under your reasoning, if you needed to pave you driveway, you should be able to go down to the city street department and get an asphalt spreader 24/7 because, as a taxpayer, you "own it".  Or go to the city swimming pool and throw your birthday party whether it is open or not.

That said, I  agree that the citizens should have the right to use the field at a reasonable time for a resonable fee, consistent with the cost of upkeep and maintenance.  I coached in Arkadelphia where the Babe Ruth League had  rights to Sturgis Field.  We had scheduled a rainout date after the season and showed up only to have men's softball games being played.  When I questioned the Parks and Rec guy, he stated that his calendar showed the season had ended and he used the field for other purposes then.  The League president got hufffy about it being "their field", but he was set straight pretty quickly.

[Rizzo]

No, the taxpayers don't own the fields.  The City owns the field.  The City is a legally incoroporated political subdivision of the state that has rights and rsponsibilities. Rizzo, if there is an accident on the field and a subsequent lawsuit, the sherriff doesn't serve you with the subpoena, he serves the city employees that have a fiduciary responsibility to the citizens to manage the fields in the best interst of the taxpayers as a whole.

Under your reasoning, if you needed to pave you driveway, you should be able to go down to the city street department and get an asphalt spreader 24/7 because, as a taxpayer, you "own it".  Or go to the city swimming pool and throw your birthday party whether it is open or not.

That said, I  agree that the citizens should have the right to use the field at a reasonable time for a resonable fee, consistent with the cost of upkeep and maintenance.  I coached in Arkadelphia where the Babe Ruth League had  rights to Sturgis Field.  We had scheduled a rainout date after the season and showed up only to have men's softball games being played.  When I questioned the Parks and Rec guy, he stated that his calendar showed the season had ended and he used the field for other purposes then.  The League president got hufffy about it being "their field", but he was set straight pretty quickly.

I'm not sure why you said my name on that, as I said the fields are city owned. The others said taxpayer, which is incorrect.

[Busman]

Sorry, I misread.  I have corrected my post.

[Fan1958]

And all power of the "City" comes through the citizens, as does the money.  The "City" can't print money so where does the "City" get its revenues?  Through taxes paid by the citizens.  I will agree the "City" manages the parks for the use by the citizens of the "City" .  That said the USSSA teams, or anyone else for that matter if they are citizens and taxpayers of the "City", should be able to schedule practices at the park paid for by taxpayer money and managed by the "City". 

Perhaps they should be subject to the same scheduling as any other entity using the park but they should be allowed to schedule practice time at a public park managed by the "City" and paid for by citizens' taxes.

And by the way, the "City" has statutory immunity from most lawsuits so that's not an excuse.

[Rizzo]

Once again, that's just not how it works.

Either deal with it, or do something about it.

And, whining on a message board, does nothing.


I see the OP has went back and erased his posts and what not.