| I propose that both the County Administrator and the Board of Commissioners be nominated for the prestigious Marie Antoinette Award for Wasteful and Ill-timed Initiatives in Government for their proposed “arts ordinance” that will add both bureaucratic supercargo to county government and raise the cost by one percent of every “construction or remodeling of any building, structure, park, utility, street, sidewalk, parking facility or portion thereof in Kitsap County.”
Put in a sidewalk and add 1 percent to add smiley-faces and hand-prints? I’m holding my breath as I envision what wondrous works of art will grace the sewer lines.
This ordinance creates another parasitic constituency dependent upon your property taxes, your sales taxes and your fees. It is pure barn carpet to say that adding unnecessary expense to need infrastructure improvements will promote economic development.
I have been arguing against Tim Eyman’s latest initiative because I feel it would further weaken local governments. One of the proponents said, “They just don’t get it. They won’t stop wasteful spending. We don’t need gold-plating and doo-dahs.”
Yes, I have to agree, they still don’t get it.
Matt Ryan
Bremerton. |
