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Zakim architect gives state $15,000 to keep bridge illuminated
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so...
If I do the quick math here...
That would be...
3 Days worth of lighting.
Its 5,000 a month...
Its 5,000 a month...
Ya but...
You have to pay someone a pension and a contracting job to go and collect the money.
Don't forget...
It would be unwise of them not to hire an outside consulting firm to do a study on the best way to have that person retrieve the money.
Ideally
...it will be someone with Beacon Hill experience, who knows their way around the system. So long as they're compensated appropriately.
Well that takes care of 3
Well that takes care of 3 months of the year, I think a campaign could be put in motion to reach out to different interest groups to keep it going. I bet the Irish would have found the 6,000 to light up the Zakim Green for Saint Patricks Day (I added in a charge to add green gel to the lights) and other groups could do the same thing. America boosters could get red and blue lights going for July to make it red white and blue etc.
100%
100%
Miguel Rosales, the architecht, is a great guy
I interviewed him for a Lawrence paper when the bridge was first built. It doesn't surprise me he'd make a classy move like this.
A $5000 gift to a multimillion dollar precedent?
It is certainly a classy move, but is anyone else concerned that the Turnpike, and also cities, towns and the Commonwealth might see an opportunity here?
For example, deep in the bowels of City Hall, there is a statement like this being made:
"Hey, if we threaten to close down Boston Common and stoke up an outcry, maybe we can shake down some people in Beacon Hill and the Back Bay for a few million to cover this year's operating budget...and let's start talking about Latin School, too."
A nice move by the architect
Also, it had to hurt to see someone willing to turn off the lights on an achievement of yours like the Zakim bridge.
Money doesn't fix everything, moron
It doesn't matter who's paying; the bridge is still hurting our planet by running the lights.
If he has an extra $15,000 burning a hole in his pocket, why not use it to convert the bridge to solar?
http://1smootshort.blogspot.com
Before I complain too much about environmental impact...
...of the lights on the bridge, I think we should do something about the much worse environmental impact of the gazillion cars that go over said bridge.
But if the bridge lighting power could be switched to by solar for only $15K, that does sound great.
By the same logic...
...why don't you keep your computer shut off?
I could not imagine the sort
I could not imagine the sort of rig the bridge would need to get enough power to power the lights at night. Im all for eco friendly but I am willing to spend a few pounds of carbon to light up the night sky for all to enjoy. Its become a Boston icon, it shoudldnt be dark.
I actually think many of our our visible ugly bridges should be lit up as well. The price of the carbon footprint per capita is not that high if we consider how many people enjoy seeing the bridges with lights on them (versus the number of people who lets say use night lights in their hallways for convenience.)
and now MOSES offers to light the bridge.
apparently it will "lift everybody's spirits" for a month.
http://icanhaz.com/zakim
i am gonna guess that some MOSES members will wish the money was spent on saving jobs instead....