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Don't let a good idea go sour

Contributed by: Stan Dyer on 3/15/2007

March 15, 2007

Don't let a good idea go sour

By Stan Dyer

Even though all Coloradans know BIG snows can come in March, (remember 2003?), when we see those dirt-encrusted mounds of snow melting away the memories of last December's weather and the seven weeks that followed, we feel ready to start putting our shovels away. The morning air smells new, like spring, and the sounds of life being reborn surround us. This is the time of year I like to go to City Park for a snapshot of the city with the snow-capped peaks in the background taken from the back steps of the Museum of Nature and Science. That good idea came to me last week, and, since I was in the neighborhood anyway, I decided to take in the Benjamin Franklin exhibit now on display. The day started with a good idea, but it soon went sour.

I love that a person can go on-line, purchase museum tickets and pick them up at the kiosk near the will call entrance without waiting in lines. Waiting in line is just not a favorite thing to do, and something to avoid at every opportunity. Exploring history, however, is something everyone should do and often. The Ben Franklin exhibit at the museum is a perfect opportunity. It seems that a number of area elementary schools have the same idea.

On this day, every elementary student in the state of Colorado was at the museum, or so it seemed. That's OK, as long as the children are well-behaved and under control. These weren't, but I put up with them because, after all, the museums in this city are primarily for the kids, right? If you think about it, museums are only open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. when most, working adults are at the office. Since most people don't have enough of a lunch hour to squeeze the museum in, and the museum rarely plays host to busses full of office workers on field trips, it's safe to assume that the museums are mostly for the kids, and, of course, museum employees. We adults must content ourselves with paying the taxes and subsidies that keep these cultural places afloat even though we rarely enjoy much of the benefit. From my observations of the attention paid to the actual exhibits by the children in attendance, it would appear that the taxpayers have provided a top-notch "playground" for our youth. The exhibit is extraordinary, if you get a chance to see it, but be careful where you step; there might be children under foot. I left and went outside for my picture.

Outside, I discovered the city was there, the mountains were there, but there was something missing. Ah, yes, the lake. It's gone. In its place is a hole full of construction equipment. That's not exactly the picture I envisioned, but I took it anyway. With two strikes against me and a sour mood setting in, I decided to salvage the day with a drive to the State Capitol. I knew I could get some great mountain pictures from the recently re-opened Capitol Dome. It sounds easy, but it's not. The legislature is in session.

When the legislature is in session, all the close in, metered parking is for them. It's reserved and free. Even though fewer than half were in use, the spots are clearly marked and out-of-bounds. I drove a few blocks away and walked back. When I arrived at the Capitol steps, there was a man addressing a crowd with all of the city's news media taking notice. I stopped to listen. I discovered that the Colorado Department of Transportation, (you know, the guys who drive the snow plows?), neglected to pay their drivers all the overtime they earned keeping our streets as free of snow as could be expected this winter. The State's defense was a "computer glitch". OK, I can believe that, but I can't believe it's lasted over four months! Can that be legal? I'll be the bosses and supervisors got their pay. Remember this if you ever think about applying for a job with the State. I left those frustrated workers and entered the building on my quest for the dome.

One nice thing about the Capitol is it is open to the public, at least for the most part, and on their terms. Visitors pretty much have free run of the building from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., (are they in league with the museum?), but only Monday through Friday, no weekends. On the way in, I noticed quilts hanging all over the place, took a brochure and decided to snap some shots on my way out if I had time.

Once inside, visitors can easily see the dome, but it's not that easy to find the entrance. First, you have to wade through the crowded halls in a surreal scene that resembles a cross between a Chinese fire drill, a coffee break in the hall, and something out of Lewis Carroll. People didn't notice me, and it was like breezing through the Twilight Zone as I made my way up one flight of stairs after another. Finally, through trial and error, (I'm a man and we don't ask directions), I arrived at my destination.

It's quiet up there. Except for two young people I presumed to be employees, it was deserted. I felt I would have the whole place to myself. I was wrong. After poking around a while and reading some plaques, I inquired about getting in the door that leads "upstairs". I discovered I needed to go downstairs, get a ticket or reservation, and wait for a tour. You can only get in the dome on the tour. I just wanted 10 minutes in the dome. I follow the rules, so I went to see about tickets. I discovered all tickets and all reservations for the day were gone. It wasn't even noon. There was no one up there, no one waiting to get up there, and no way for me to get up there. That, my children, is how bureaucracy works. It is so perfect to find it working so well at the Capitol. Speaking of children, all those who weren't at the museum were at the Capitol. It was like Night of the Living Grade-Schoolers. I have no idea who was watching the schools, but I hope they turned the heat down and the lights off when they left. I headed for the door.

As I was leaving, I peered in the brochure to discover more about these quilts hanging all about. They were part of the "2007 Capitol Quilt Show" presented by The Colorado Quilt Council. That is great and fine, but I had to wonder about the purpose of this exhibit. Since the Capitol is only open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., (hours we already determined were impractical for most working adults), and the Capitol is not open weekends, I want to know who is going to see these quilts and when? Why bother with a program or exhibit most people simply cannot attend? The exhibit hours might as well be 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. Do I sound a bit cynical at this point? Well, I did find a lesson.

My day may have been a little frustrating, and I may not have accomplished all I planned, but I did get a clear reminder and a perfect demonstration of how our society works. If you don't know already, the truth is seldom as important as what people believe is the truth. All of the places I visited believe they are providing valuable products in the best interest of the community. That may be true to an extent, but I cannot help feeling that if they all had to compete for revenue the way the rest of us do, things would be different. How many organizations can get away with not paying their workers for four months? How many restaurants would turn a customer away from an empty table the way I was turned away from the dome? How many businesses would restrict their hours to only those that are impossible for their customers? How many companies could afford to close on weekends when most of their customers have weekends available? Calvin Coolidge once said, "The business of America IS business". Instead, maybe we should all say the business of America, our government, should run more like a business. You can bet that if the government and government agencies had to compete for taxpayer dollars the way fast food companies compete for hamburger dollars, they'd be open past midnight and have plenty of choices on the dollar menu. We'd likely get more for our money, a better product and better service, but I'm still not too sure how I feel about having high school kids behind that counter.

I don't know what the answer is, but a good place to start looking for one is in the Constitution. The Constitution begins with the words, "We the people..." That says enough right there. It means "we the people" are the Government. It is our country. It is our business. It is our future. If the government is bad, it is because inattentiveness by we the people and the people's willingness to put up with government inadequacies allow the government be bad. You certainly have the right to choose complacency, but if you do nothing except complain that nothing is being done, you have no one to blame but yourself for the product you get. If enough of us do nothing, we will share the quagmire together. Much the way my day went, democratic government started out as a good idea, and remains a good idea, but it needs a little attention. If we don't all pay attention to what is happening, and move to improve the situation, the government is sure to sour. Just like those big snows last December. They didn't move themselves and we couldn't wait for spring to melt them.


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Showing 1 of 1 comments
Submitted By: Joan-Marie Reed
posted on 3/17/2007 @ 6:06:03 PM
Rated Story
I'm still chuckling at the irony. I was considering a field trip to the dome with my middle school class, but I think I'll consider it a bit longer. Let me know when all the elementary kids have seen the Ben Franklin exhibit, and then, perhaps, we'll venture to the DMNS. Thanks for your candor.
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CONTRIBUTOR INFORMATION

Stan Dyer

Arvada , CO

Stan Dyer has posted 881 stories and 108 comments since joining on 9/14/2005. Stan Dyer 's average story rating is 4.92.
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