Florida City Park Director Orders Removal of Flags To Save Money
jonathanturley
Clearwater Florida’s Parks and Recreation Director, Kevin Dunbar, is under fire after he ordered the removal of 13 flagpoles and flags from the city this week. Dunbar concluded that flying old Glory was no longer affordable — a move that parallels the decision of various cities and states to sell parks and historic sites even as the United States continues to spend billions on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Besides being the headquarters of the Church of Scientology, Clearwater previously attracted national attention over its crackdown on a bait shop displaying a copy of the first amendment, here.
In Dunbar’s defense, the parks and staff have been cut by one-forth in the last three years — making the flag maintenance a bit difficult.
The city council has voted to block Dunbar’s decisions, here.
