Reuven responds (on FB) I didn’t intervene in leapfrogging the normal public process. SPS applied for money as a district and this year Magnolia was included in their package request. I fought for the district money as I do every ye
I am a fan of Reuven Carlyle. He is one of the bright lights of the Democratic party, but …
Now the State legislature finally passed its capital budget. That is good, but the budget also reflects politics, or as Rep. Gael Tarleton said, “The commitments to our communities that this budget represents are just extraordinary and will have long, long impacts.”
State Senator Reuven Carlyle was quick to take credit on FaceBook that Magnolia Elementary, a Seattle Public School in his very wealthy District, would be among the biggest beneficiaries, receiving $6.6 million in state funds. To be fair Reuven says he had no role in the vetting process. I hope that is true and would like to know more about how this was done.
I am sure that state money rained down, draining into creeks across the state. But Smith Park?
“It’s just a beautiful building,” said Sen. Reuven Carlyle. “[We’ve] been working for nine years to get a combination of city and state money to open that up, and [I’m] just beyond thrilled that we now have a whole new community foundation; reengaging the Magnolia community in the form of an elementary school.”
Senator Carlyle is rightly proud of his home. He called his 36th District the cultural, arts, and music hub of the city, “Having the theatre, arts, culture, and music is the spiritual essence of who we are.” “Who” is who? I guess he means Seattle’s upper classes. Hell, there was even $250,000 will go to match county dollars for the Smith Cove Park.
There is nothing new about this practice of democracy. Reuven is elected by the good burghers of Magnolia! Nor is this a Democrat vs Republican issue. Last session I opposed a similar amount of money going to Spokane for the creation of an unneeded medical school at WSU. I also oppose the use of State funds to support specific research projects at the UW. And the endorsement by the State legislature of the supposedly non profit Western Governor’s University.
I see all of this as pork.