A guerrilla gardener planted 1,000 flowers at the ugliest subway stop in the capital. Instead of saying thanks, D.C. Metro authorities ripped the plants out to show him — and the public — who's boss.
This stinks.
Robert McCartney's Washington Post column about bureaucrats' thuggish destruction of gardener
Henry Docter's beautiful planted flower gift to the city got more hits than any other story on the Post's website. It's not hard to see why:
As Metro authorities howled about not having enough funds to keep probably the busiest and most visible subway stop in Washington from looking like a Soviet prison yard, a private citizen showed it was possible — without all the bureaucracy, red tape and excuse-making Metro authorities have meted out up until now.
The ugly subway stop was their handiwork. The enchanting red-white-and-blue cardinal flowers, cypress vines and morning glories were the private sector's handiwork.
The bureaucrats could see the ugly contrast.
And more importantly, they knew the public could see it, raising questions about their ultimate worth to the public. So like typical bureaucrats, they struck, the better to sweep from the public's mind that the private sector can do a simple job better than they can.
The turf-war reflex from these bureaucrats in the wake of their own neglect is striking.
Tuesday, July 09, 2013
Life in "Progress" City - DC edition
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