Callaghan on Elks Building
Peter Callaghan’s column today focused on the Elks Building and its latest chapter. The chapter where the son, who now speaks for the family since the death of his father, comes to Tacoma to look at offers and sell the building. Except the sale hasn’t happened yet. Offers have gone higher than asking from what we hear, but the chapter won’t ever end.
When can we turn the page? How about now? Or now? Please.
Link to The News Tribune
2 comments
M Mofo from the Hood June 19, 2012
I think to put this “land reclamation effort” into perspective it would be helpful to display a photograph of this facility in relation to the whole city of Tacoma—Picture an overhead view from the perspective of an airplane or whatever. Highlight the current “inventory” of raingardens in Tacoma.
From this starting point we could begin to speculate the long term use of both public and private property.
Regarding the use of the Totem property, if rainwater is channelled to a surface sewer grate and sewer system then the immediate area is usable for productive purposes. Question for anyone: Why would somebody with a negotiated lease, who is paying for the use of a property, acquiesce to a reduction of their usable space, and ultimately their private purchasing power needed to increase their economic & physical well-being?
This same critical view applies to downtown Tacoma. Pacific Avenue is also scheduled for land reclamation in the form of rain gardens. These projects seem to proceed with cheerleading by people who are blind to the fact that unobstructed corridors are critical for efficient business practices—production of goods and services.
M Mofo from the Hood July 2, 2012
In political terms, this project could be classified as an infrastructure improvement: It helps the Port of Tacoma and TOTE compete in the marketplace.
Was this project the result of citizen tax dollars redistributed through the Stimulus Recovery Act?
According to the Port of Tacoma and TOTE, over 600 plants were placed in the rain garden by volunteers, not paid employees.
Heck, if everything I said is true, and it’s the prevailing standard process, then everyone should start a rain garden business and form a band-wagon coalition with local, state, and federal government.
However, the fundamental problem of this form of economic organization—redistributing industrial profit normally invested in competitive growth strategies—is that taking surplus profit and applying it to nonproductive purposes may overburden the capitalist system and lead to its collapse.
Industry, not agriculture, is the dominant form of Western economy. The Port of Tacoma and TOTE are apparently subject to political checks and balances that reflect the environmental interests and career ambitions of politicians seeking to exploit the current economic crisis.
I’m not questioning optimum social and individual well-being. I’m questioning optimum allocation of scarce resources.