Turf Battle

As part of my continuing effort to bring more headaches into my life, I think it is my duty to comment on the Artificial Turf debate that is raging in Cobb County. Before I do, some facts about Cobb County need to be explained.

The Cobb County Board Of Education does not build football stadiums for its high schools. When a school is built, the BOE advises that there is land for a football field. Usually is it behind the school, which, considering Cobb County is a blessing that it is not down the street. The school meaning “the football booster club” must build the seats, concession stands, etc. No monies come from the county for any of that stuff.

Secondly, for the past ten years the Board of Education has been using a “Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax” (SPLOST) to fund capital improvements and to build new schools.

Someone had the bright idea to add the installation of artificial turf to the high school football fields on the last SPLOST (III) that was voted on in October of 2008 Depending upon who you ask, it can take anywhere from $100.00 to $1,000,000 to maintain a high school football field. SPLOST III passed with 61% of the vote.

Here is where in most sane locations of America the story would end. Not in Cobb County.

We have a group of well meaning, but odd education activists led by Walter G. “Pete” Borden, a retired Marine, Mason, and playwright who was a guest columnist for the Marietta Daily Journal*. He has filed suit to have the installation of artificial turf stopped because “Irreparable harm will result to the plaintiff ...if this Court does not restrain the defendants from this unauthorized expenditure of public funds”. The suit does not state what “irreparable harm” would happen to Mr. Borden if Sprayberry High School plays football on artificial turf.

To be fair, the suit claims that under state law SPLOST funds are limited to educational facilities and athletic fields would not qualify. That’s fine, but why wait over a year to file suit? If it was against the law in 2010 it would have been against the law in 2008, right?

I should have seen this coming. Mr. Borden wrote a column regarding the artificial turn issue. Mr. Borden wrote: “By now, most interested Cobb County residents are aware that SPLOST III contained a highly controversial and potentially dangerous plan to install artificial turf in our high school football stadiums. I say ‘controversial because of a question as to whether this is a legitimate use of SPLOST funds. There is also a question as to how this expenditure would further the education of our children. I say ‘dangerous’ because the jury is still out on whether this material is hazardous to the health.”

I love the “By now” phrase of Mr. Borden’s column. The vote for SPLOST III was about a year before this column was written and the pro-SPLOST forces advertised that it contained funds for artificial turf. Granted, there have been other times when the Board of Education was secretive, the implication that it was in this instance is simply inaccurate.

Mr. Borden also brandishes the “safety” card, which is funny because the subject is football, which even on lush Kentucky green grass is a violent contact sport. For the record, I have been to football games at both McEachern and Harrsion High Schools (both have artificial turf) and have not witnesses any health issues besides broken bones and egos.

I must admit I am a little sensitive to this issue. For four seasons, I helped paint the Kennesaw Mountain High School football field for games. That field had holes, rocks, and bee hives. I’m not sure how this is safer than artificial turf.

The only relevant argument is regarding the legality of use of SPLOST funds on a football field. If not, oh, well, chalk another one up for the crack legal team the Board of Education uses. If it is legal, this is just another example of someone taking to court what they could not win at the ballot box.

* The Marietta Daily Journal used the term “guest columnist” to describe Mr. Borden, although it seems like he was in the paper as much as Funky Winkerbean. The MDJ will not print any more of his work until the lawsuit has been resolved or if he withdraws as a plaintiff.