La Quinta Spends Big on Sculpture, Then Spends
Again to Have It Removed. In 1996, the La Quinta City Council
authorized spending $93,000 in tax dollars for a sculpture that was placed at a
busy intersection as an attempt at public art. In 2001, the city spent an
additional $34,900 for improvements. Now, responding to public complaints that
the sculpture is an eyesore, the city is going to spend another $15,000 to
remove and dispose of the piece.
The sculpture, titled "Oasis One Eleven," is described as an
"art piece-turned-blight" by The
Desert Sun. The artist contends that
city officials have failed to polish and maintain the bronze piece, but city
officials say the now-dingy artwork "was not what was originally
envisioned" and was "not in keeping with community design
standards." (Source: The Desert Sun,
January 20.)
(Cal-Tax recommendation: Public art is a constant source of debate –
should government stay away from art entirely, or does taxpayer-funded art
sometimes provide a public benefit by making an area more enjoyable and more
attractive to tourists? The jury is still out, but this example illustrates
that government officials would be wise to err on the side of caution, lest
they follow in La Quinta's footsteps by spending almost $143,000 to install and
then remove a hunk of bronze that has the look of a bunker from the Maginot
Line.)
Cal-TaxReports, January 25, 2010
© 2010 California Taxpayers'
Association.
All Rights Reserved.