Originally posted yesterday afternoon, and moved up.
The business interests and PR firms pushing for a Chilhuly glass museum at the Seattle Center—a private venture on public land—are working hard to make it appear that a vast number of Seattle residents support the project. Last night, they stacked a meeting with hundreds of supporters, many of whom turned out to be paid by the family that operates the Space Needle, which is behind the effort. Meanwhile, their museum's Facebook page promised $25 gift certificates for the Space Needle restaurant to people who joined the group (because it's totally worth supporting a multi-million dollar vanity project in exchange for a crab cake). Museum cheerleaders are using that membership to wage a purportedly grassroots campaign, creating an email widget that allows their troops to bombard the city council with letters of support. But this isn't a movement of the people. This is an astroturf campaign run by big business—or, as Eli just coined it, glasstroturf.
They're even trying to make it look like a done deal. The Space Needle website claims that "construction is expected to begin near the end of this year and the plan is for completion by mid-2011."
But this isn't a done deal. Seattle residents oppose this project. We invested years of input to develop a Seattle Center Master Plan that used this area for lawns, open space, and public use. Before the glasstroturf campaign was in full swing, city council members had heard from 300 people, almost exclusively opposed to the museum. And our legally binding, chocolate-flavored Slog poll found that only 10 percent supported this glass house. Don't let the glasstroturf campaign win. Mayor Mike McGinn said last week that the city is "not going to do something the public doesn’t like.”
Call and email everyone on the city council, the director of Seattle Center, and the mayor to tell them you oppose this project. You can email all of them in one swoop by clicking HERE. And here are their individual email addresses and phone numbers.
Email the mayor, the head of the Seattle Center, and the entire city council by clicking HERE. And call them individually:Mayor Mike McGinn
Phone: (206) 684-4000
Email: mike.mcginn@seattle.govSeattle Center Director Robert Nellams
(206) 684-7330
Email: robert.nellams@seattle.govRichard Conlin, Council President
Phone: (206) 684-8805
Email: richard.conlin@seattle.govSally Bagshaw
Phone: (206) 684-8801
Email: sally.bagshaw@seattle.govTim Burgess
Phone: (206) 684-8806
Email: tim.burgess@seattle.govSally J. Clark
Phone: (206) 684-8802
Email: sally.clark@seattle.govJean Godden
Phone: (206) 684-8807
Email: jean.godden@seattle.govBruce Harrell
Phone: (206) 684-8804
Email: bruce.harrell@seattle.govNick Licata
Phone: (206) 684-8803
Email: nick.licata@seattle.govMike O'Brien
Phone: (206) 684-8800
Email: mike.obrien@seattle.govTom Rasmussen
Phone: (206) 684-8808
Email: tom.rasmussen@seattle.gov
And as a reward, please go out and buy yourself a double-scoop ice cream cone.
