汙水廠更名布希？舊金山公投

汙水廠更名布希？舊金山公投

【聯合報╱紐約特派員林少予／18日電】

2008.07.19 02:52 am

除了遊行、抗議，還有哪些方式能讓民眾發洩對政客的不滿？舊金山市民今年將有個不一樣的選擇，他們將在11月投票選總統時，順便票決是否將一座汙水處理廠「更名」為「喬治布希汙水處理廠」(George W. Bush Sewage Treatment Plant)。

想 出這個點子的布萊恩‧麥康諾表示，美國歷史上從沒有一位總統像布希一樣，能在這麼短的時間內建立這麼多事功。為了表彰布希的成就，需要有一個紀念性質的建 築物，因此他組織了一個名為「舊金山總統紀念建築委員會」，目的只有一個，就是將汙水處理廠更名以紀念布希。而為什麼選擇汙水處理廠？因為考慮布希的成 就，「汙水處理廠既稱允當，亦能長久。」

麥康諾在今年3月底開始連署，到連署截止日7月7日止，接近12,000人連署這個公投案，超過 成案門檻票數7,168票甚多。舊金山市政府選舉部門17 日計算連署數目後決定該公投案成案。這個公投題目是：舊金山市與舊金山郡是否應該將「海邊水汙染防制廠」更名為「喬治布希汙水廠」？公投案將於11月4日 總統選舉當天一併交由舊金山市民決定。

麥康諾4月受訪時表示，這個點子是他在酒吧喝酒時想出來的，「不管你的政治立場在哪一邊，你不能不 承認，布希做了不少事情，總應該為後人留記。」至於為何挑上汙水處理廠？麥康諾說，除了發動全球反恐戰爭外，布希最值得懷念的事蹟，就是他非常注重美國的 硬體基礎建設，比如說啦，那個在卡翠納風災期間，把紐奧良保護的好好的堤防系統，難道不是非常值得紀念的成就嗎？

白宮發言人派里諾女士周前被問到這件事情時，多次以「這個問題不值得回答」、「沒有回答的必要」來回應。

【2008/07/19 聯合報】

George W. Bush Sewage Plant plan is on ballot

Marisa Lagos, Chronicle Staff Writer

Friday, July 18, 2008

(07-17) 14:57 PDT SAN FRANCISCO -- San Francisco voters will be asked to decide whether to name a city sewage plant in honor of President Bush, after a satiric measure qualified for the November ballot Thursday.

Backers of the measure, who for several months circulated a petition to place the measure on the ballot, turned in more than 12,000 signatures on July 7, said organizer Brian McConnell. The Department of Elections on Thursday informed those supporters, the self-proclaimed Presidential Memorial Commission, that they had enough valid signatures - a minimum of 7,168 registered San Francisco voters - to qualify for the November ballot.

McConnell, who came up with the idea over beers with friends, often donned an Uncle Sam outfit to drum up support for the petition. The all-volunteer group of signature gatherers often carried around an American flag and blasted patriotic music from a boom box to attract attention. He said the campaign to pass the measure will be an equally grassroots effort.

The measure, if passed, would rename the Oceanside Water Pollution Control Plant the George W. Bush Sewage Plant. McConnell said the intent is to remember the Bush administration and what the group sees as the president's mistakes, including the war in Iraq.

Some people aren't laughing, including the San Francisco Republican Party, which sees the measure as an embarrassment, even to this famously liberal city. Chairman Howard Epstein has vowed to fight the measure with all means available to him.

A White House spokeswoman, when asked about the measure several weeks ago, refused to comment.

Source: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/07/17/BA7A11QU1S.DTL