In reading Barry Crocker’s statements concerning the imposition of user fees next year I was appalled by his cavalier attitude towards increasing the cost for kids to participate in soccer. Not to mention his total lack of logic or reasoning concerning the new fees.

Mr. Crocker apparently has not met a fee he is not happy to impose, thereby increasing the cost to participate and play soccer. With his attitude that parents have bottomless pockets from which to pay fee increases, he should be on city council.

Fee increases do not occur in a vacuum – they are added on top of what it costs to play soccer already. An additional $10 – $15 is going to deny some kids playing soccer.

“It’s not going to affect us at all. It will probably cost kids $10 to $15 a year more”. Mr. Crocker: if it puts the cost up $10 to $15 it IS going to have an affect. If it had no affect fees would not go up.

According to Mr. Crocker 20 years ago Abbotsford had the best fields anywhere. It follows that in order for Abbotsford to now be “…near the bottom end of the list in terms of what is spent on sports fields” City Council has chosen to invest and spend less and less on fields and maintenance.

Why would one expect this behaviour to change just because Abbotsford will now be imposing user fees? The City has demonstrated by its behaviour over those 20 years that playing fields and park maintenance are a low priority for the City.

There is no evidence that imposing user fees for use of fields will in any way change the City’s neglect of fields and parks. Whether Mill Lake parking fees or user fees for sports fields these “fees” are about City Hall’s inability to manage their finances in a responsible manner and that has City Hall seeking to hide tax increases by calling them user fees.

“If we get three or four all-weather fields I think it will be worth it because the kids will be with us.” I do not recall City Hall making any announcement about building three or four all-weather fields?

If there is an agreement in place that City Hall will be building these all-weather fields and bring playing fields up to par and maintaining the fields as they should, let’s hear all about it. If not …

“The biggest problem will be the administration of it.” There is a simple solution to this. That is to do what Mr. Crocker should be doing: standing up for the soccer players not making excuses for another revenue grab by the City.