I have a personal adage, I use when I am working with my clients. When I feel they are pursuing something that they shouldn’t, I make my best arguments against three times, in forceful but respectful fashion. If, after all of that (and I have documented history of telling them it was a bad idea), and then go ahead with their bad idea.
I have been re-watching the West Wing; it gives me comfort for a time when we al thought competence and a functional, non-corrupt government was something of value. And in the episode I am watching, they are talking to people who were part of various administrations.
And the brings me to a Facebook exchange I had with a Chicago architect who is now a pundit and critic. I asked Ed “if your asked to be the Architect of the Capitol, would you do it?” and he responded by saying, flatly, “NO”
After watching this episode (which included Karl Rove, a man I loathe) I think my friend Ed is wrong. I (who am in absolutely no danger of being asked to do so), if I was asked to be Architect of The Capitol, would do it immediately.
Because I am passionate about buildings at every level. I love old factory buildings. I love historic government buildings. I love cape cods built by people just trying to live one more season.
If i hd the opportunity, I would oppose him at every level, until he decided to give us money for restoration and preservation .
Yeah, I would be fired the first time I told him he can’t install gold plated toilets in the White House.
But I will tell you this: I do not suck up to anybody, and while I am willing to compromise, fuck that selling out shit.
And I would be fired. Probably the first tine I refused to allow a gold plated toilet to be installed in the White House.
Empire Of The Senseless 