Perhaps this is a lesson that they might check the facts before they rush out with unfounded accusations let alone ones based on remarks from the distant political past. it appeared as if the YouTube version was clipped in mid-thought. a striking effect and an effective use of humor.) Herald-Journal, coupled with a Reds loss, The Nationals won because of the base running of September call-up Jeff Kobernus that scored the go-ahead run,Following the release of the GAO report, despite lacking reasonable assurances that the added pay was linked to performance. But the flat-broke athletic department wont get that money; the course is administered by the schools Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs So the money would go directly to the universitySome might wonder what the loss of one golf course really means in the current economic climate There are plenty of courses in this area although not all of them are open to the public Marylands course is a mixed bag: It has members but it is also open to the public So does the University of Maryland need a golf course After all not every university has its own except that in the fabulous Big Ten every member school except Northwestern does have its own Ohio State has two Michigans athletic department just received a $100 million gift that will help pay for $18 million in renovations to its golf facilities Why should that matter Because and its schools are the ones Maryland wants to compete against academically athletically aesthetically Getting rid of its course would seem like a step backward in that attemptMaryland President Wallace D Loh who engineered the schools move to the B1G with a breathtaking lack of transparency has met with Brian Gibbons chief executive of Greenberg Gibbons (and a Maryland graduate) Gibbons has also personally briefed state and local officials and members of the Board of Regents This seems like more than an "unsolicited proposal" as Loh called it in a July 8 letter to Gibbons Loh cautioned that such a proposal would face public hearings but if the deal already has been struck behind the scenes such meetings would be mostly for showThe apparently nonexistent proposal is being taken seriously by the Maryland Golf Course Coalition which is fighting the idea The golf course isnt without problems It closed for a year for renovations and is trying to rebuild its membership to about 250 members The course makes money so its not a drain on university finances but it still has to service the debt incurred by the renovation If we want the discussion to center around money there is this: The course hosts roughly 70 fundraising and charity events a year; many raise money for university programs and scholarships Some of the benefactors of those events are non-revenue sports at Maryland Considering the athletic departments precarious financial health perhaps that particular revenue stream should remain open But beyond economics the course is one of only a few true open green spaces on Marylands campus Lose those 150 acres and Maryland is just another concrete jungle of higher learning Lose that green space and it will never come back Joni Mitchell never sang "They unpaved paradise and tore down a parking lot" Since 2003 the Maryland course has been designated a Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary by Audubon International Just 14 courses in the state of Maryland have the Audubon seal of approval which is based on factors such as water conservation reduction of chemical use and wildlife habitation So yes traffic around the College Park campus is a nightmare but the answer is not to eliminate the golf course A new traffic spur might help congestion but the development which would include businesses hotels and residences might add to it Only one thing is certain: Land is not a renewable commodity Mark Twain is credited with saying: "Buy land Theyre not making it anymore" If he didnt say it he should have because its true For more by Tracee Hamilton go to To economists.