Disappeared News

“
Money, money, money
Must be funny
In the rich man's world
Money, money, money
Always sunny
In the rich man's world
Aha-ahaa
All the things I could do
If I had a little money
It's a rich man's world
It's a rich man's world

--Money Money Money, ABBA
”

by Larry Geller

Yet another article appeared on the front page of today’s paper filled with UH sports woes and (of course) dollar signs. We’ve seen it many times before (too many times) and will no doubt read more of the same in the future.

The University of Hawaii seems to be spending money on sports as though—what’s a good cliché? as though money grows on trees? As though they have money to burn? As though they’re made out of money? As though they’re rolling in the dough?

It’s all too rich for my blood.

It seems the flood of articles reporting money lost in blunders, money paid to athletic directors or coaches, money paid to coaches who are fired, money paid to attorneys because coaches are fired, and so on, has no end.

Who’s paying all this? Can it be stopped is the 64-thousand-dollar question. All this money produces nothing of lasting value. Nothing.

UH is contracted to pay Honolulu attorney William McCorriston, its outside counsel in the case, "up to $100,000," according to terms of the agreement. The contract was obtained by the Honolulu Star-Advertiser under the state's open records law.

[Star-Advertiser p. A1, Outside counsel in coach's firing could cost $100K, 2/5/2015]

That $100,000 doesn’t contribute to any game or benefit any student, any fan or any player. It’s completely down the drain. But the rest of the article has many more numbers, each preceded by a dollar sign, that most of us can’t begin to relate to:

• $100,000, that amount to be paid for outside counsel
• $200,000, severance pay, the remainder of
• $344,000 annual salary
• $1.4 million – the amount UH may owe Arnold (the article says “upward of $1.4 million”)
• $200,000 liquidated damages
• $20,000 UH will pay to an Alabama attorney
• $235,248 paid to outgoing vp and UH general counsel

UH Sports is clearly the religion of Hawaii, the opiate of the masses, and responsible collaterally for the consumption of enormous amounts of beer. At some point, though, people noticed that even the Vatican was getting too ostentations and now the Pope wears white.

Is all this spending worth it? When will it stop, and who has that much money to pay? Can’t that money go to a better cause? Affordable housing programs? Better health care? Something? Anything besides this fooling around with hiring and firing and attorneys?

I work all night, I work all day, to pay the bills I have to pay
Ain't it sad
And still there never seems to be a single penny left for me
That's too bad
In my dreams I have a plan
If I got me a wealthy man
I wouldn't have to work at all, I'd fool around and have a ball

Money, money, money
Must be funny
In the rich man's world
Money, money, money
Always sunny
In the rich man's world
Aha-ahaa
All the things I could do
If I had a little money
It's a rich man's world
It's a rich man's world

Permalink posted by Larry @ 2/05/2015 09:19:00 AM