Slog
News & ArtsTuesday, March 5, 2013
City I Guess It's Time for Another Patriotic Beg-A-Thon
Posted by Paul Constant on Tue, Mar 5, 2013 at 11:20 AM
Casey McNerthney at the Seattle PI says:
Seattle is at risk of going without a major fireworks show this Fourth of July.
One Reel, the nonprofit arts organization that has produced the Family 4th at Lake Union since 1988, says through its website that $500,000 in financial support is needed to ensure the fireworks show and Family 4th event happen.
The donation deadline is March 31, according to the event website, so organizers can know "if the event is to move forward."
As McNerthney notes, One Reel had this same problem back in 2010 when those dicks at Chase refused to fund the fireworks the way Washington Mutual had for years. So this means it's time for another It's a Wonderful Life moment, where the whole city comes together and pays for the fireworks and yay America and all that. But are we going to have to do this every year? What do you think?
3
Why won't Amazon fund this thing? Sheesh. Their buildings are the front row seats on the thing. Nor are they known for their civic largesse. Time to make a civic contribution. It ain't even controversial.
5
This has happened many times over the years since Ivar passed away and his company didn't share the same civic vision. Really the city doesn't have the civic vision it should have. Seattle is happy to let private companies have fireworks or not, that is how we ended up with two competing shows for a number of years. In a real city it would be a regular city function and the city could sell sponsorships but at least the organizing would be taken care of.
9
Any nation which has destroyed its own manufacturing base, infrastructure and space program truly doesn't deserve a fourth of July celebration.
Too bad America. You could have been a contender.
Too bad America. You could have been a contender.
11
I hope it doesn't happen this year. Maybe people will wake up and realize that corporations don't give a fuck about the communities that they pay lip service to being a part of.
13
It would be better to raise $500Gs for Northwest Harvest or the Humane Society or really any charitable organization that improves lives rather than a fireworks display that will be over in 30 minutes. Sheesh.
14
I thought the deal was that fireworks would be banned for personal use, but there'd be this big display you could take your family to. Really the city should put on the big display just to reduce the fire hazard from all the personal fireworks.
17
@14,
Tell that to the people in my neighborhood who set off fireworks for weeks before and after the Fourth.
How much would this event cost if they didn't bother with the special event business in GasWorks park? Are those bleachers and other crap strictly necessary or could they run the event with just the fireworks and necessary police presence in the area?
Tell that to the people in my neighborhood who set off fireworks for weeks before and after the Fourth.
How much would this event cost if they didn't bother with the special event business in GasWorks park? Are those bleachers and other crap strictly necessary or could they run the event with just the fireworks and necessary police presence in the area?
18
I know I speak entirely for myself when I say this, but it takes the fun out of fireworks - the celebration of fire and the birth of our nation - when you look at it as a big financial drain. It'd be better to have a smaller show that we can dependably afford every year than rolling the dice (seemingly so often) on whether or not this tradition can continue. Something as simple as a fireworks display shouldn't be a matter of debate or controversy. It kind of kills it for me.
By the way, how can Seattle always find funds for a Torchlight Parade, but not for an equally important Seattle tradition?
By the way, how can Seattle always find funds for a Torchlight Parade, but not for an equally important Seattle tradition?
19
One Reel makes hand over fist money.
http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2…
Check out the pay scales. The top three are 1%ers.
http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2…
Check out the pay scales. The top three are 1%ers.
21
Make that billionaire who wants to hook Seattle with another sports palace pay for the show for the next 20 years. He can afford it. And it will ease the pain when Seattle citizens are hit with the bill for building and maintaining that NBA sports palace.
22
What 9 and 11 said, sadly. Maybe the holiday would be better served by having the populace spend at least part of the day reflecting on the state of the union they're mindlessly celebrating, and asking if it still represents them and works for them. I'm all for bread and circuses, but apparently the rulers have all decided they're tired of paying for them, so we don't even get things that go boom for a half hour a year.
23
@21 How about he and Paul Allen split the tab? Isn't Football Fat-Ass still hiding the financial disclosures he's supposed to do for HIS stadium deal inside a shell corporation? They could both do with a little show of gratitude.
24
@1 Same thing kinda happened with the hydros & SeaFair. Albert Lee stepped up, but that probably won't last long. One Reel also has f'd up Bumbershoot.
@3 & @21 It really does seem like a no-brainer for Amazon, Vulcan, Sonics/Seahawks/Mariners, Starbucks to sponsor such an event. Maybe if it was done by a true non-profit (see @19's link), local 'name' corps might be inclined to sponsor. But it's not likely to happen until it becomes a City Hall gig, which means the sponsorships bring access & favors.
@3 & @21 It really does seem like a no-brainer for Amazon, Vulcan, Sonics/Seahawks/Mariners, Starbucks to sponsor such an event. Maybe if it was done by a true non-profit (see @19's link), local 'name' corps might be inclined to sponsor. But it's not likely to happen until it becomes a City Hall gig, which means the sponsorships bring access & favors.
25
How can you write a post about fundraising for Seattle's 4th fireworks without mentioning beloved & esteemed Dave Ross? After all, his emanating tones from Eastlake became an impromptu radiothon that saved the show when evil Chase pulled the plug....plus he uses Stranger staffers quite often as sources for local sources...PLUS, Tom Douglas was the first to call in that morning and make a coportae donation.
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