Waste of the Day: $70K For Temporary Poem In Reno, Nevada
A 4,000-word poem was temporarily printed along one-mile of Reno, Nevada sidewalks, at a cost of $70,000.
The poem “Confluence: Stream Science, Handwriting, and Urban Curbs,” is a project by Todd Gilens, a Bay Area visual artist who first had the idea in 2014.
“The portioned themes of the composition are based on water, land, science and seasonal motifs and are “expressed in rhythmic prose,” which is meant to be read while walking,” This Is Reno reported.
The lettering, added in October, was expected to last several weeks, depending on weather conditions, the local news site reported.
The Nevada Globe poked fun at the installation – paid for by the City of Reno, Washoe County, Nevada Humanities, and the Truckee Meadows Parks Foundation.
“If, God forbid, a pedestrian is distracted by “Confluence,” he might get a closer look at the temporary scrawl if he trips over the cracks in the neglected, uneven sidewalk,” the news outlet wrote. “The City of Reno can’t find the funds or the will to repair a neglected sidewalk, but the bureaucrats can find the funds to temporarily paint it.”
This is also as residents of Reno and the Washoe County School District are facing an additional Storm Water Utility tax proposed by the City Council, averaging an initial $13.49 per month. The tax will have automatic, annual increases based on the Consumer Price Index and there is no cap.
If Reno City Council approves this tax, residents and businesses in Damonte Ranch will have to pay two taxes per month for sewer infrastructure.
But by all means, lets paint a temporary poem on the sidewalks.
As the Nevada Globe put it, “One question we have is why a temporary, mile-long poem (that costs $70,000) is necessary?”
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