The Stranger, Seattle's Only Newspaper: Slog: Wilderness

Supporting Parks by Drinking in a Basement

Anna Minard — Fri, 10 May 2013 11:47:08 -0700

Last night, while Cienna was hobnobbing at Ed Murray's fundraiser, 23 stories above the city in a condo with a view she'd trade her fertility for, I was stuck in a windowless basement where tens of people had gathered on this beautifully sunny day to kickoff fundraising efforts for King County parks.

The room looked like this:

Anna Minard
It was actually much darker than this.

It took forever for my eyes to adjust to the "light" in the basement. There were nachos and sliders and beer if you were brave enough to grope through the shadows for them. Behind us, the precious, waning sun lit up the entrance like an emergency escape route.

The King County Parks levy is an every-six-year vote that will be on your August primary ballot. It funds maintenance and operations for park systems like Marymoor Park, the Burke Gilman Trail, Tiger Mountain, and more than 200 parks and 175 miles of trails. Outside! In the fresh air and sunlight! It accounts for about 70 percent of the county's parks and rec operating budget; the general fund started paying exactly nothing toward parks in 2011. It's a property tax that costs something like $56 a year on a $300,000 house and will raise about $60 million a year for the next six years.

The bright campaign poster had a picture of a tree and a swingset. I had never wanted to be outside in a park more.

Up front, King County Council member Larry Phillips extolled how "incredibly fortunate" we all were to live here, with so much "natural beauty" and the "great park system" that is KC parks at our fingertips. Dow Constantine was late, probably sunbathing. Organizers begged the room to turn on their headlamps and write a check. I wondered if it was deliberate: Forcing all these nice people into a small dark room with the express purpose of making them appreciate (and long for) a well-maintained park system? So I asked the organizer. It was not deliberate.

I took a moment to think: It's my job to be here. I should stay and listen to more speeches about green space, wise words by KC Executive Dow Constantine. I should wander and talk to these name-tagged, suit-wearing, nacho-eating politicians and donors.

On the other hand, holy shit was it nice out.

So I ran out the door. Seriously, vote yes on the parks levy in August. If you don't, you'll just have fewer or shittier outside spaces to gambol about in on days like yesterday and today. And that would be a damn shame.

The Stranger, Seattle's Only Newspaper: Slog: Wilderness

Supporting Parks by Drinking in a Basement

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