Earlier this week, The Metropolitan Museum of Art held a gala to unveil their newly renovated fountains and plaza. Attending the gala was a cavalcade of wealthy patrons, a large squad of private security, and a handful of protesters who came to thank the man being honored for making the renovations possible.
The project, which had a price tag of $65 million, was paid for by David Koch, the globally recognized billionaire leader of the climate change denial lobby, which has purchased enough US politicians to keep a push for meaningful clean energy initiatives indefinitely stalled throughout various government agencies.
David Koch and his brother Charles, have become the target of protests by a wide range of groups fighting against issues such as wealth disparity, campaign finance reform, and the environmental damage caused by the continued extraction and use of fossil fuels.
But with the “People’s Climate March” expected to draw more than 100,000 protesters to New York City next week, the gala was a fortuitous bit of good press for the Koch Brothers who would much rather have the public discussing their philanthropic ventures rather than their business of manipulating legislation to increase profits.
Even though David Koch will wring every ounce of positive press from his newest $65 million philanthropic venture, it should be noted that he actually didn’t spend a dime of his own money.
Having received $88 million in corporate welfare via taxpayer money granted in the form of federal subsidies last year alone, it was actually the american tax payers who paid for the improvements to the front of The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
So even though the new beautifully appointed surface of the fountain bears the name David H. Koch Plaza, I recommend that if you ever find yourself in New York City you should visit the beautiful new plaza at The Met.
After all, you paid for it.
