Tacoma wants philanthropists to pay for a $14 million spire-shaped "Tower Of Peace" atop the town's convention center, to mitigate the building's "hulking horizontality." The motto for the spire-tower: "Aspire to World Peace." More from Tacoma News Tribune columnist Peter Callaghan (free reg. req.).
...The Tacoma City Council tried to kill the spire two years ago because members couldn't figure out how to pay for it and they couldn't figure out how to get taxpayers to stop objecting to it...Last week it re-emerged as something called the Tower of Peace. It even has a slogan, "Aspire to World Peace".....it is hard to gauge whether calling it a symbol of peace is inspired or cynical. Is it an attempt to give new meaning to something that started life as a lighted icon to help people find the convention center? Or is it supposed to insulate it from criticism?
The insulation is thin, in my view. Peace is overrated. Justice and liberty are the real priorities, even for brown-skinned people in exotic foreign lands whom Democrats think incapable of desiring or attaining liberty. Necessary systemic changes can sometimes be accomplished peacefully, but sometimes not. Liberty first. In fact, Tacoma's burghers should call it the Tower Of Liberty. Then maybe the donors'll deliver.
Posted by Matt Rosenberg at May 03, 2005 02:21 PM | Email ThisI wish it were the "philanthropists" who would fund the spire.
Unfortunately, I am sure taxpayers would be required to pay either for construction, maintenance or staff costs.
Then the naming rights would likely be sold off to Walmart or Target so there would be a $14,000,000 "Walmart Spire" or maybe as a compromise "Walmart Spire of Peace."
Posted by: Erik on May 3, 2005 02:32 PM
Unfortunately there is now a "hulking horizontal" hotel across the street that almost completely hides the building! How did that happen?
Posted by: JVG on May 3, 2005 02:42 PMTacoma Government has always been, and continues to be, a cesspool of political corruption, transparently so. Why the residents of Tacoma consistently vote the most degenerate filth into office is beyond me, I just accept it as a ‘given’ and as such have grown accustomed to it.
Now in answer to your question, as with every other major 'investment' this community has made this monstrosity was conceived, designed and promoted by a gaggle of sniveling local ‘activists’ with an inferiority complex and no sense of style or taste.
Really, what difference does it make? The building has stood empty since being built and there is nothing in the public record that suggests that that situation is likely to change.
Actually I appreciate not having to look at the stinking money pit as I drive home from work.
And it always turns out that their precious struggle is too important for them to give up, so you should sell out your principles and give up yours instead.
Posted by: Insufficiently Sensitive on May 3, 2005 03:19 PMThe answer to these loons is always throw more taxpayer money at it. If you can't get that, demand it of the rich snobs who look down on you from the wealth they must have stolen from their poorer neighbors. So much for the American Dream when you have a cat fight in the alley over the spoils. Stop fighting and everyone can go home! And here is a novel approach--want money? WORK FOR IT LIKE EVERYONE ELSE! I do not owe your sorry self a living or a contribution and if you are not willing to go do a fund-raiser for some stupid assinine project of yours, then it deserves to fail for the eyesore it will probably be! Maybe your motto should be, "Save Our Skyline".
(Thanks for the inspiration, Insufficiently).
Posted by: Steven O'Dell on May 3, 2005 03:29 PMThere are families out there who are struggling to keep shoes on their kid’s feet and politicians keep throwing money away on nonsense like this.
For Christ's sake drive around Tacoma for an hour and it is apparent that everything else has been sacrificed on the alter of keeping up with the Joneses (Seattle).
I have said it a million times Tacoma is analogous to a father of a family of five who has them living in a two room duplex and eating Kraft mac & cheese five nights a week so that he can impress his ‘friends’ by driving a new four-wheel drive truck and Harley around town.
Posted by: JDH on May 3, 2005 03:48 PMSeriously, though, poor Tacoma has been Seattle's ugly kid brother since the railroad terminus bypassed it. An inferiority complex has afflicted this town for quite a long time.
Posted by: Pseudotsuga on May 3, 2005 04:13 PMUm, Tacoma got the railroad. Seattle didn't.
http://www.northwestrailfan.com/railroad_history.htm
Shipping and the ports might be a better comparison, as those battles continue today.
But the inferiority complex does apply.
TB (Tacoma born)
Posted by: jimg on May 3, 2005 04:29 PM$70+ million law suit related to the same hanging over their heads
Pot holed residential streets
City Council turning off residential street lighting to 'save money'
A 'stat of the art' computer system that does not work
And on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on
Get your 'facts' from the people, not the media and you will get the true picture
Posted by: JDH on May 3, 2005 07:07 PM
And if they keep spending money like this, economic development will continue to pass them by. Hint: money doesn't come from arts boondoggles, it comes from business.
Posted by: Dogbert on May 3, 2005 07:11 PMThen they should make everyone at Evergreen State College pay for it by hiking up their tuition 2000%.
Posted by: Big M on May 3, 2005 08:36 PMYep, seems to be a common failing of city, county, state and federal politicians. Heck, at the federal level they just make up more money if they haven't confiscated enough to cover their pork costs. Why, just a few days ago the federal congress critters agreed to spend another $80 billion+ on Iraq.
That probably would have covered the shoes...unless the feds bought them.
Posted by: ed on May 3, 2005 11:17 PMLet me explain in a very simplified way what has been the modus operandi in Tacoma. A ‘development syndicate’ is formed, and in order to gain access to all these ‘perks’ one or more of the above named are ‘invited to invest’ (my understanding, after talking with people who are familiar with the process, is that little or no cash is brought to the table by these individuals). What is being done is that in having one or more of the above on the project not only are the above referred to transfers from the public coffers assured but when they go to the bank to borrow money they will get a rate that none of the rest of us could even hope for. You see banks are willing to loan money at less than market rates when they do not have any ‘exposure,’ oh that is one of the perks that I failed to mention above the residents of the City, in many cases also assumes all the risk involved through various legal devices that were put in place to ‘attract development.’ So what is being done, and Bill Evans is the king of it, is not only is money transferred from the citizenry in form of tax breaks and subsidies the citizen’s property (right of way converted to parking) is also being used to support these business interests.
I don’t expect the News Buffoon to report on this, my guess is that they are ‘on the take’ either through advertising ‘buys’ or that there are connections to these ‘developments.’
IF THE TACOMA CITY COUNCIL VOTES FOR THE SPIRE WILL THE HEADLINES IN THE PAPER THE NEXT DAY READ "SEATTLE HAS SPACE NEEDLE TACOMA GETS THE SHAFT"?
Posted by: TACOMA PHLASH on May 4, 2005 03:11 PM