WORLD Magazine - Today's News | Christian Views

Today's News | Christian Views

 

Subscriber Login

Receive Email Updates

CURRENT ISSUE

Stalked
Where do 2 million Iraqis who have fled to neighboring countries go now?
FULL STORY

Features Culture Beat Departments Thoughts Classifieds RSS Feeds

WEB EXTRAS WORLD ARCHIVES COLUMNISTS WORLDMAGBLOG MEDIA KIT SUBSCRIBE BOOKS

RSS Feed

 
Printer Friendly Printer Friendly    E-mail to Friend Email to Friend
 DEPARTMENTS | "The audacity of real change" August 23, 2008

The Buzz

NEED-TO-KNOW NEWS

Seattle flush

Since 2004, Seattle has dumped upwards of $5 million into purchasing and operating five high-tech public toilets downtown. Now the city is looking to unload the space-age units on eBay for a small fraction of the initial sticker price. The disastrous outcome of a plan once believed a boon to public health and safety is indicative of a false ideology prevalent not only in Seattle, but among many well-intentioned government officials—namely, the belief that people are only as bad as their circumstances make them.

That maxim got a quick flush in the Emerald City when toilets intended to eliminate public defecation became dens of prostitution and drug use. The hope that clean, well-maintained facilities would lead to cleaner behavior among the homeless backfired. In the first two years of operation, the city responded to 7,418 reports of human waste in the streets, more than three times the 2,400 reports in the two years prior.

Find out how to get instant access to this article and one month of WORLD for only $5.00! If you are already a subscriber, please log in below.

The complete article is ~1863 words long

Current Subscribers

Magazine
Subscriber
Login Now
Online Only
Subscriber
Login Now

>> Click here to see other purchase options for this article

New Subscribers

Lock Secure form
Receive instant access to this article and the WORLDMag.com Archives
Plus, enjoy 2 issues of WORLD Magazine for only $5.00*

Want a different type of subscription? Click here for Online-Only Subscription options. Or here for Print Subscription options (which include online subscription access).

Payment Information

Name State Card Type
Address Zip Card Number
City Email Expiration Date
/
  Phone Number  
   
Offer Terms
Subscribers Advantage Automatic Renewal Program You authorize WORLD Magazine to charge your credit/debit card at the price listed above and in time to renew your subscription to WORLD Magazine, without interruption, before the start of the first 6-month term (for $24.95) and then thereafter at 6-month terms at the regular rate then in effect unless you tell us to stop. You may cancel at any time during your subscription and receive a full refund on all unmailed issues. If your credit/debit card cannot be charged, we will bill you directly instead.
*Offer good in the U.S. only for new subscribers.
I agree to the terms above
Outside the US, click here.
Renewing subscribers, click here.
Gift subscriptions, click here.

 

  MORE PREVIOUS ISSUES

For all other archived issues