The site is behind a paywall, so for those who are not subscribers, let me describe today's Boston Globe front page. Above the fold: Tornado coverage, and a large local employer story. Below the fold: a sordid tale of a construction project gone horribly over budget and the chaos it's created. Just a snippet of the dread saga:
What began two years ago as an elaborate $18 million clubhouse reconstruction at Belmont Country Club has grown into a nearly $30 million fiasco, and now the club’s affluent, well-mannered membership has lost its collective cool.
Wealthy weekend golfers are standing up in meetings and demanding resignations. Millionaires are trading nasty e-mails — delineating their grievances and accusations with Roman numerals.
Backslapping has been replaced by back stabbing, and successful business people are doing “things that we would never do in our professional lives,” according to one message from the clubhouse building committee.
Walk carefully through the construction, and follow me below the dingledoodle squigglie dKosagnocchi dividerthingie fold after a word from our sponsor...
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The article goes on to describe a series of badly managed decisions, cost overruns that sadly are familiar to anyone for whom the two words "Big Dig" elicit groans. Club firing builder. Builder firing the club. Downscaling of the clubhouse to a mere 44000 sq ft. Club members are going to have to pay the extra costs.
I'll wait while you all grab tissues... OK, welcome back.
Regardless of what the building project is, or how ridiculous I may think it to be, gross mismanagement and cost overruns suck. I sympathize. But what really got me irked as I read this morning, was the following (emphasis mine):
One longtime club member lamented the internal feud and said he believes all parties have acted in good faith.
“The overruns are unfortunate, but most of us can afford the cost,” said the member.
“It’s going to be fabulous, we’re all going to enjoy it, and people will forget about the fighting.”
That
cost most everyone can afford? $28000. Yeah.
Twenty-eight thousand dollars. At a club where a membership costs up to $65000 and annual fees run approximately $22000.
There are a thousand things I can say about lifestyles of the rich and famous richer, but what I'd like to consider tonight instead is this:
What is $28000 to you?
It's the approximate cost of either of Casa Brillig's cars, had we paid outright instead of financing them over many years.
It's the approximate YEARLY salary of a cafeteria worker in the Boston Public Schools (or put another way, ~$14/hr), and over half that of a newly-minted, fresh out of school teacher in the same school district.
It's 75% of the annual tuition cost at Harvard (but only 47% of the total costs). However, at our flagship state university UMass-Amherst it's the total annual cost plus enough for a pizza or two.
It's what about one-quarter of all student loan borrowers owe at a minimum. The average student loan balance for all age groups is $24,301.
It is just above the Federal poverty line for a family of 5.
It's FAR more than I can contemplate being "able to cover" due to a cost snafu at a country club I can't afford to be a member of.
What's $28000 to you?
Brillig's ObDisclaimer: The decision to publish each nomination lies with the evening's Diarist and/or Comment Formatter. My evenings at the helm, I try reeeeallllyy hard to publish everything
without regard to content. I really do, even when I disagree personally with any given nomination. "TopCommentness" lies in the eyes of the nominator and of you, the reader - I leave the decision to you. I do
not publish self-nominations (ie your own comments) and if I ruled the world, we'd all build community, supporting and uplifting instead of tearing our fellow Kossacks down.
From Gentle Giant:
I would like to nominate Subterranean's comment in Hunter's diary Rand Paul Outraged, But Not Entirely Sure Why. It explains in clear and sarcastic terms why the IRS kerfuffle is truly a non-scandal, and is also snarkalicious
From psychodrew:
I think that a lot of non-sports fans can relate to brillig's brilliant comment in cohenzee's Top Comments diary last nite.
Diarist's note: ::blush::
From Puddytat:
This comment by The Lone Apple asks an important question.
From chrississippi:
citizenx had a doosey comment in bink's diary about the NYT's Bill Keller suggesting that Ken Starr be brought back to Inquisition the Obama administration. When it was pointed out that Keller used Peggy Noonan to bolster the argument, citizenx said "They're getting the band back together!"
From Yours Truly, brillig:
In Hunter's brilliantly said Teachers as first responders, as protectors, and as heroes, ridemybike described heroes.
miasmo for the Best Description EVER of the media. Have I mentioned K2 plays soccer?
Saving this prognostication by bink, with instructions to read in 2016. From Meteor Blades' Washington police arrest 17 in Occupy Justice foreclosure protests. Actions continue today.
Top Mojo for yesterday, May 20th, first comments and tip jars excluded. Thank you
mik for the mojo magic! For those of you interested in How Top Mojo Works, please see his diary
FAQing Top Mojo.
1) another disaster...and again... by Glen The Plumber — 257
2) Obama found out about the tornado by Dallasdoc — 158
3) Heroes daily...especially today. by catilinus — 153
4) He's not just a doctor... by Trix — 148
5) You did a great job today by twigg — 114
6) Rachel said the same thing last night. by stunzeed — 105
7) Please contact ABC... by MartyM — 100
8) Thanks for everything by science geek — 100
9) Holy shit, what a HYPOCRITE! by BadKitties — 99
10) Courage by Darryl House — 98
11) Levels of the Great Lakes are falling, too by bear83 — 96
12) My sister was in the middle of the destruction. by briefer — 95
13) And a supposedly Democratic president by Paleo — 94
14) Obama Had Already Been In Contact w Locals by Gooserock — 94
15) Yep by Dave in Northridge — 88
16) I wonder when RW idiots will take by blueoregon — 86
17) These is the biggest scandal of all. And the liars by Voodoo king — 84
18) This is why I would follow you through the gates by mjbleo — 84
19) Clinton started earlier than that by gjohnsit — 84
20) Re: this: by praenomen — 82
21) Why do we even pretend any of these organizations by AoT — 82
22) Teachers. Heroes. by Hammerhand — 82
23) I know this must be exhausting but by Onomastic — 81
24) Isn't this what Christianity is all about, huh? by freeportguy1 — 81
25) I think the phrase is by CwV — 80
26) when we figure out by alguien — 80
27) You ever talk to someone and WISH you said some by MinistryOfTruth — 80
28) Leave the Great Lakes alone. by expatjourno — 79
29) That mamzer by Dave in Northridge — 78
30) But Gov Perry prayed for rain, didn't that work? by merrywidow — 73
Top Pictures for yesterday, May 20th. Click any image to be taken to the full comment. Thank you
jotter for the image magic!