Yesterday, I blogged about the Cedar Hill Golf Course in Saanich, which is costing property taxpayers $820,000 in annual subsidies.

Despite the massive cost, there is a vocal contingent in Saanich fighting to keep the course and restaurant (responsible for half a million bucks in losses) in public hands. I was perplexed. Why would anyone want to throw good money after bad? With so many other golfing and park options nearby, what makes this course so important?

The park issue can be easily resolved: any contract to sell the course could include public access trails and protection of right-of-ways for people who use Cedar Hill as parkland. That’s not a worry. Future development of the site would require City Council approval, so there should be no worries about losing the greenspace.

So why keep spending tax dollars on this golf course? Then I received this notice from CUPE.

Ah, CUPE. A union never shy about cutting your pay through taxation to increase their own. Both the Cedar Hill Golf Club and restaurant are run by CUPE-unionized staff. No wonder the costs are out of whack with the private sector: these people are covered under the Saanich collective agreement. Worse yet, the contract is transferable, meaning if a private owner purchased the club, they would inherit the CUPE deal.

Saanich is in a pickle now: their operating costs, driven by union wage and benefits, are too high to keep the course and restaurant, but no private individual would touch that deal with a ten-foot pole.

So here is my solution: Saanich should sell the golf club and restaurant to the CUPE staffers who so passionately believe in this facility, long-term. Let the staff be in control of their own destiny, without interference from penny pinchers at City Hall—and without strapped taxpayers picking up any shortfalls.

You want this so bad—take it, CUPE, and show us how it can be done.