Richmond - The Editor, Re: "UNESCO bid, long, costly, but worthy," News, April 23.
With baited breath, I noted city hall's latest item on their bucket list; ie seeking the UNESCO designation for the taxpayers' money pit called Steveston.
Far be it for me, a lowly citizen, to question council and staff in their infinite wisdom, (whereby errors in capital and operating costs can have minor rounding errors in the millions of dollars).
Unfortunately, I strayed, temptation won... and I succumbed to performing some personal research.
I came across a Washington University Law review report (circa 2011 ) titled "Heritage in Peril: A Critique of the UNESCO's World Heritage Program." (http://law.wustl. edu/WUGSLR/Issues/Volume10_3/keough.pdf) Some self-explanatory quotes:
"...successes are dwindling, replaced by bureaucratic wrangling and underhanded deals for money and influence between the Committee and the Member States" and "At its best, the program is characterized as - teetering on its once sound foundations as its principles and priorities crumble under the weight of bureaucracy and outside influence.
The World Heritage emblem has come to represent a grandiose marketing tool, fodder for things to 'see before you die' coffee table books. At its worst, the program has left its original aims in the dust in favor of materialism and pacification and is now incapable of protecting the world's truly endangered places."
In summary, acquiring the UNESCO designation is simply branding," which even the city acknowledges, aka to further embellish a tourist trap.
However, the "status" of a UNESCO designation has been sufficiently diluted by a number of dubious designations elsewhere.
Thus, there is no benefit to the general citizens of Richmond in this, but instead a risk of exposure to future costs and other liabilities that will inevitably be forthcoming for what is clearly another city hall ego trip.
R.A.Hoegler
Richmond
