Heated debate

Poor Wendell Gilliard, he learned an important lesson in American politics the hard way.

The purse strings always trump the heart strings.

On Tuesday night, Charleston City Council had to argue, grouse and pontificate for more than an hour and a half before they agreed to buy the Sofa Super Store property.

You know, the place where nine firefighters died last year. The ground where more firefighters lost their lives than anywhere since 9/11. That patch of ground on Highway 17 where people left all the cards, flowers, and teddy bears, prayed daily and cried over. The spot Mayor Joe Riley calls sacred ground.

Well, at $1.8 million, it apparently ain’t too sacred.

Gilliard was appalled by opposition to this expenditure, to the very question of whether the city should buy this now-vacant lot.

“When we first discussed this, there wasn’t a ‘nay’ in the room,” he noted in David Slade’s story. “I don’t get it.”

Let’s explain it to the councilman. Back in July, when the City Council first voted on this, Charleston was still caught up in the tragedy of the event. Everybody has big eyes when they are looking at the menu. It’s only when the check comes that you begin to question your decisions.

Of course, Gilliard — and the mayor, especially — shouldn’t be surprised. Everybody loves a cause until it costs them money. You have to wonder if the die-hard Iraq hawks out there would still be defending President Bush if he’d raised taxes, instead of cutting them, to pay for the war (like FDR did).

Come between some people and their grande double lattes, and they seem to see things in different light.

That’s what is happening here. Charleston raised its property taxes this year, something that most governments gave up long ago as a solution to their problems. So some folks are livid, don’t understand why the cost of government has gone up — why, don’t they get the gas for those garbage trucks for free?

Newbie Councilman Tim Mallard claims he took a poll and found that the people who live near the Sofa Super Store site, which is in his district, don’t want to buy the property. Funny, I didn’t get a call. Must not have been in line at Krispy Kreme when he took this scientific survey.

But that’s not to say Mallard isn’t right about the sentiments of people. They say time heals all wounds, but mostly people forget — despite what the billboards claim. Besides, they bought the ribbons and put them on their cars, didn’t they?

Councilman James Lewis, who also opposed the purchase, made an interesting point. Wouldn’t it be better, Lewis said, to buy better equipment for the Fire Department with that money?

Now, in fairness, some of the tax increase went to just that. But imagine how the Charleston 9 would feel knowing that their legacy is safety equipment that might save the lives of their brothers-in-arms, avoiding further tragedy and drama in the first place.

Yeah, but that would cost money. And we’ve already bought the ribbons.

Reach Brian Hicks at 937-5561 or bhicks@postandcourier.com