January 29th, 2012
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The government screws everything up. When it comes to skate parks, this is especially true.
Politicians get contributions from local business' like contractors in exchange for their support; the politicians give those companies preference when it comes to public building projects. Most of these companies have no business building skate parks and no brains for designing them. This is the worst kind of crony capitalism because it endangers the public in a very direct way. No amount of padding can protect a child from these bureaucratic atrocities.
A popular feature in Thrasher Magazine is their "Certified Piece of Suck" skate park contest. In it they document the worst of the worst in public skate parks.
It is always better to build your own park or go to a private park. I know at least 7 privately owned skate parks in the Minneapolis area that put the skate parks in Thrasher's notorious contest to shame. They are all designed by skateboarders, for skateboarders. If you have a problem with the park, you can tell an understanding owner who speaks your language. If the owner can't please his skateboarding customers, he will not make money or sustain his costs. When a skateboarder hates their local public park they get to go complain to a bureaucrat who isn't motivated to please them. The government worker will make the same amount of money whether or not they listen or care.
There are exceptions to this rule. I've heard of skateboarders spending countless hours fighting with their local city councils for a say in design and construction.
Sometimes the skaters win and they get a good park.
But most of the time the local cement contractor wins and builds things like this.
In the time it takes to try to deal with your city council you could build your own park. Get friends together, pool your resources, and construct it yourselves. It doesn't take much to build something functional. The skills you gain by building a skate park on your own are much more valuable than the skills you gain learning to deal with government bureaucrats.
The government has shown consistent incompetence with the simple task of designing and constructing a skate park. Why should we trust them to take over the entire healthcare system? Why should we trust them to regulate Wall Street? Why should we trust them to regulate agriculture? We the people are supposed to believe the government has our best interests in mind when the build things like this?
Don't rely on the government. You can do better for yourself than anyone else. You can build whatever you imagine.
~RC