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The Trouble with Schell's Tree
By Dick Falkenbury
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What is it with the Mayor?
Buying the tree wasn't such a bad idea; it is a beautiful tree and will look great in a city park somewhere. Even the price is not too outrageous--as Councilmember Jan Drago or one of those other drones said, $35,000 for a piece of artwork is not bad, and the tree in question is unquestionably better than much of the outdoor sculpture that the Art Commission has purchased over the years.
But for crying out loud, Paul Schell is worth millions, according to his public disclosure forms filed with the City. He saw the tree, loved the tree and could have bought it out of his own pocket. Instead, without a vote of appropriation or checking with anyone, he spent the city taxpayer's money. French kings used to have a word for this kind of behavior: the word was "ruling."
So then he turns around and announces that he'll find the money from private sources. I guess he can; he's already found $200,000 for his reelection campaign. I am a little uncomfortable with private people ponying up the money that they know is going to save The Mayoral Ass, but it beats the taxpayer being forced to back up the Mayor's impulse. I am not happy, but I could live with it.
However, our Mayor is not content with trying to undo his mistake of spending money without authorization. No, he is not. Now, instead of asking a few well-heeled people to help pull his chestnuts out of the fire, he has hit on something that is, if possible, worse.
He is not content to step in it--now he must grind it in and traipse through the house with it.
He is going to ask the children of Seattle to pay for His Tree. He announced this plan in the latest Schell Mail, his e-mail newsletter (accessible through the City's web site). He wants the kiddies to send in their nickels and dimes to buy him out of trouble.
If you want to involve the kids, the way to do it is to have them plant little trees that they can watch grow up. You don't go out and get an old, albeit beautiful, tree and say, "Help me buy a great tree for my City Hall Park." When was the last time you saw children playing at the City Hall landscaping--especially after they forbade skateboarding?
Here's what you do, Mister Mayor: get Weyerhaeuser to donate trees, get the kids to plant their trees, find a few fat-cat friends to buy your own tree and never again spend city money without prior OK.
Meanwhile, Jan Drago, in a misguided step to see if anyone wants her to become Mayor, has announced that she has saved a hawthorn tree. The hawthorn won't save her. We want a good woman to run for mayor, not just any woman.
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