There is a threat to the bowling landscape in Los Angeles

[jimgilmore]

Classy granny , are you saying that the company you work for, did not pass your hours doing charity. Down stream as charitable contributions on their taxes ????
It is well known that the rich and companies will choose which money they spend which would go to taxes to select where their taxes are really going . So the rest of society gets no actual benefit. When they do do their taxes.

[1VegasBowler]

I read the article by Mike Machuga, and while it does have a centering piece to the pros, it also correlates to the everyday bowler as well.

But Mike isn't the only one that feels like this. I was at a PBA50 event recently, and you would be surprised at how many pros feel the same way as he does. He just happened to put it in writing to let everybody know how he feels. He is also correct in the possibility of being fined and/or suspended for what he did, and that's what prevents others from doing what he did.

And when you look at the prize pools for the pros, they have decreased over the years where somebody who wants to be on tour better have some financial backing to do it. The buy-in, travel expenses, lodging, food, etc., all adds up in a hurry and you need to consistently be in the top 5 in order to try to stay ahead of the game.

The blue collar bowler has to contend with the economy as well and to bowl more than twice each week is a struggle. Even once each week can be a struggle for some, and it's not going to get better anytime soon.

With whats happening in LA, I only hope that the non Bowlmor centers don't end up raising their fees because of the demands that will come from the Bowlmor centers that are pushing away their past bowlers, and I think that it's something you have to be prepared for.

[Mike White]

Bunk.

I work for a fortune 100 company and spent the day yesterday on company time, while being paid, along with 200+ fellow employees working at local food banks to help those in need. How did that help the bottom line?

Did the company make sure it was well know that their employees were there doing the work?

[classygranny]

Classy granny , are you saying that the company you work for, did not pass your hours doing charity. Down stream as charitable contributions on their taxes ????
It is well known that the rich and companies will choose which money they spend which would go to taxes to select where their taxes are really going . So the rest of society gets no actual benefit. When they do do their taxes.

The company I work for, is owned by myself. I personally, do not pass any of my hours for charity, nor would I for my employee's hours as charitable contributions. Nor could I afford to pay my employees for doing charity work. My charity issues are addressed on my personal taxes, but I don't operate as a large corporation would. I am just a small business owner, struggling to survive until able to retire.

[QUOTE=1VegasBowler;144879]With whats happening in LA, I only hope that the non Bowlmor centers don't end up raising their fees because of the demands that will come from the Bowlmor centers that are pushing away their past bowlers, and I think that it's something you have to be prepared for. [\QUOTE]

Our Brunswick houses, now owned by Bowlmor have raised their fees to a point I don't understand how any family could go out for an evening of fun. Mon-Thurs, and Friday til 4pm is $4.29 game. Friday 4 pm-8 pm, Sat til 8 pm, Sun til 6 pm is $5.99 game, and Friday/Saturday 8 pm to close is $6.59 game. Sunday 6 pm to close is $3.00. At least league bowlers get two free games a week!

[Briantime]

Did the company make sure it was well know that their employees were there doing the work?

No, they did not.

[Briantime]

Classy granny , are you saying that the company you work for, did not pass your hours doing charity. Down stream as charitable contributions on their taxes ????
It is well known that the rich and companies will choose which money they spend which would go to taxes to select where their taxes are really going . So the rest of society gets no actual benefit. When they do do their taxes.

I think I would be inclined to challenge your assertion if I understood what you wrote...

[jimgilmore]

No, they did not.

I find that very commendable but I doubt that is the norm.

[billf]

Average cost per game of open bowling around here is $4.50
League lineage is $11.50 for three games
Birthday party for a child is $10.95 with 8 kid minimum for two hours of bowling (87.60 for party compared to 46 for two four person teams)

Leagues being so popular that two shifts are needed seem to be a thing of the past at most places. The number of association members who attend local meetings is deathly low. Basically the average league bowler doesn't support their local center, league or association. They just want to show up once a week or less, drink, bowl and leave. I'm a league president, vice-president and on the local association board. Being a center employee I can say for a fact that only about 10% of all league bowlers visit the center other than for leagues with the vast majority being youth bowlers.

Despite all this our owner recently upgraded adding synthetic overlays, ball returns, back gutters and sidewalls and new masking units. Adding new monitors as soon as the crew gets back from doing a job in Kansas. We had foundation issues they fixed that pushed the timeline off. Now all this was done for league bowlers as the old wood would have lasted another 100 years of open bowling.