You Don’t Mess Around With Tom
Sometimes we can’t figure out Tom Menino. When he’s at events like a tree lighting ceremony he seems like a perfectly affable guy. But when we read the nasty stories from those who worked with the man, we’re not so sure he’s the inarticulate teddy bear we hope he is. Globe columnist Steve Bailey confirms that the Bernard Margolis saga isn’t an isolated incident of the mayor’s ability to shut somebody down. It seems our mayor has been playing more games on the golf course than the ones that involve a 9-iron.
Doug Johnson, founder and president of Johnson Golf Management, decided he wanted to run the city-owned Franklin Park golf course. So when he bid the most money for the contract, he was surprised when the city went with somebody else.
. . . [W]hen the Franklin Park contract came up for renewal in 2002 Johnson outbid the incumbent operator by $450,000 over three years. The city, however, awarded the contract to another operator, saying it provided better service. Johnson sued.
When the Hyde Park contract came up for renewal the next year, Johnson again outbid the competition. When the city awarded the contract to Johnson’s competitor, a judge ordered the city to rebid the deal. Instead, the city decided to manage both courses itself.
Johnson won his case, but he also lost.
Johnson sought more than $1 million in lost profits; this month Judge John C. Cratsley awarded Johnson the $101, ruling he had failed to make the case for lost profits.
And what does Mayor Menino have to say about this?
Said the mayor simply: “The judge acted wisely.”
Wow. He sounds like Darth Vader. And the way Bailey enthuses about his complete and total control over every aspect of the city doesn’t dispel that feeling.
Johnson, whose company operates a half-dozen Massachusetts courses, has learned what others have before him: Tom Menino is not a man to be trifled with. Are you paying attention Bernie Margolis, our soon-to-be unemployed president of the Boston Public Library?
Being Mayor for Life means never having to settle.
Unless, of course, you’re capitulating to the Boston Firefighters union. Good luck with those new guidelines!
November 30th, 2007 at 4:02 pm
Mayoral golf extends beyond the city proper, as well, it should be noted, only because of the sometime hacker’s regular and privileged appearances in Paul Fireman’s Willowbend Pro-Am for charity…an annual event not held since Fireman sold Reebok…but when Tom did the Reebok/Sox ad, you can bet he had more than municipal good will in mind as he shilled for his old pal Paul….
December 1st, 2007 at 6:57 am
Jeff is missing a few cards, I think, First, he says that Fireman sold Reebok, then he says he shilling for him in a company he no longer owns, huh?
Potshots will be potshots …
December 3rd, 2007 at 4:41 pm
The Mayor of Boston had it right, Doug Johnson is notorious for suing and trying to bully once he is in position to do so. I am a former member of Beverly Golf and Tennis or should I say permit holder as Doug Johnson quickly labeled us after he took over golf operations nearly ten years ago. He came in after winning the lawsuit against the city of Beverly with the attitude that it is my way or the highway. He quickly alienated the majority of the 300 full time permit holders by using Gestapo tactics. He fired staff that stood up and questioned his policies, suspended permit holders that dared to speak out against him. The membership of permit holders has steadily declined through the years. In 2007 BG&T is down to about 130 to 140. When I first joined BG&T about 15 years ago I was on the waiting list for 5 years. Since Johnson has taken over the management the up keep of the course has steadily declined. I am sure the fact that the permit holder numbers declining yearly cuts into Johnson’s operating budget but each year more people leave. Like the Boston courses Johnson likes to spout off that the membership at Beverly would like to think it is a private course, he claims we would go behind the bar and pour our own drinks. It looks good on paper when he tries to make it sound like he is trying to make the course more available to the public. He has actually succeeded at that, I am sure that there are a lot more tee times available now that the permit holders are down nearly 66 percent. The problem is by in large the public is not coming and if they came many would not come back based on the condition of the course. Johnson would never share the numbers but it is clear when you look at the parking lot in mid summer or driving by the 10th, 11th and 12th holes that can be seen by driving by on McKay street.
There was a time when you could not play on a Monday from mid May through October because of Outings that were booked. Many of which were annual events that had years of history. I do not know the numbers of those events that have decided to no longer hold their outings in Beverly but they have moved because of the over all condition of the course. These events are not likely to ever come back now that they have found a new venue. I would say members who have moved to other golf courses are not likely to come back. Johnson has reduced the over all value of the course and who ever bids to take over once the contract runs out will have an up hill battle in paying the city the current $600,000.00 while trying to bring the course back to playing condition. The new management will be staring off with a little more then a third of the permit holders that Johnson did when he won his law suit and there are no longer people on a waiting list trying to get in. That along with the Monday Outing bookings probably reduced by 50 % or more has reduced the over all value of this contract considerably.
Who knows maybe Johnson will bid on the contract now that he has reduced the value maybe the $101.00 dollars he won in the Boston suit will help him out bid the competition!
Hugh McKenna
Beverly Citizen
P.S. I am on the waiting list, the one where when Johnson leaves I come back