Bangor’s controversial pride flag rainbow crosswalk cost taxpayers $2,590 even before it was repainted after drivers left skid marks on it.
Bangor Public Works sent employees to paint the crosswalk on May 27, prompting social media comments suggesting that the politically motivated project caused traffic for Bangor drivers.
In response, The Maine Wire reached out to the city with a Freedom of Access Act (FOAA) request to determine exactly how much the city paid for the project.
On Wednesday, the city responded with an itemized breakdown of the cost, which included $600 worth of paint, $1,890 for ten hours of work from three crew members, and $100 for miscellaneous costs such as paint brushes, for a total of $2,590.
The Maine Wire’s initial coverage of the crosswalk prompted Democratic gubernatorial candidate Troy Jackson to come out as straight in front of the LGBTQ memorial on June 1, while criticizing The Maine Wire’s reporting.
“I’m not turning gay,” Jackson proudly declared.
While the crosswalk remained undefaced from the time of The Maine Wire’s article and Jackson’s video, it was found with skid marks defacing it shortly after Jackson posted his video.
The city then used resources to repaint the crosswalk, and it is not clear how much those repairs cost.
Bangor taxpayers may soon be in for even more costs in relation to the crosswalk. On Thursday morning, after it had been repainted, The Maine Wire made yet another pilgrimage to the monument and found that it had once again been defaced by what appeared to have been drivers doing donuts on the crosswalk.
0 Comments