Honoring Eight Years of Solid Waste | The Source Weekly - Bend, Oregon

Honoring Eight Years of Solid Waste

As the George W. Bush presidency lurches and staggers to its conclusion, the good people of San Francisco have come up with an ingenious idea

As the George W. Bush presidency lurches and staggers to its conclusion, the good people of San Francisco have come up with an ingenious idea for paying tribute to Bush's ... uh, special achievements.


As reported in the New York Times, a group of citizens calling themselves the Presidential Memorial Commission of San Francisco are "planning to ask voters here to change the name of a prize-winning water treatment plant on the shoreline to the George W. Bush Sewage Plant.

"The plan, naturally hatched in a bar, would place a vote on the November ballot to provide 'an appropriate honor for a truly unique president.'

"Supporters say that they have plenty of signatures to qualify the initiative and that the renaming would fit in a long and proud American tradition of poking political figures in the eye."

If the initiative wins, the renaming ceremony would take place on Jan. 20, 2009, the day Bush officially leaves office.

San Francisco Republicans - a downtrodden minority if ever there was one - are understandably not happy. "You got a bunch of guys drunk who came up with an idea and want to put on the ballot as a big joke without regard to the city's governance or cost," grumbled Howard Epstein, chairman of the San Francisco Republican Party.

The news inspired Carla Axtman on BlueOregon to suggest that Oregon communities could follow San Francisco's example: "Perhaps change the name of the Hillsboro Landfill to the George W. Bush Garbage Dump? Or the Ashland Wastewater Treatment Plant could adopt the name the folks in San Francisco are using - but complete it with the Dick Cheney Oxidation Ditches?"

Anything Hillsboro and Ashland can do Bend surely can do better, and it's high time to start thinking about an appropriate local landmark to commemorate the George W. Bush presidency. One that immediately came to mind is the $42 million sewage treatment plant that several big landowners have proposed building on the city's northwest side. Or if that idea doesn't fly, there's always the George W. Bush (formerly Knott) Landfill Recycling & Transfer Station.

If you have any other proposals, better come forward with them now - there's less than seven months remaining in George II's reign.

Comments (0)
Add a Comment
For info on print and digital advertising, >> Click Here