**News Snippet:**
**BREAKING: City of Longview Spends $47K on "Butterfly Crosswalk" Art Project While Main Street RoTs – No Joke**
*Longview, WA – Local residents are absolutely FUMING this morning after it was revealed the city council quietly approved a $47,000 grant for a "pollinator pathway" crosswalk mural at the intersection of 14th and Commerce.
The art project, featuring bright orange and black monarch butterflies, was installed overnight. But here's the kicker: the pavement it's painted on is literally crumbling. The same street has a pothole so deep a neighbor’s Subaru lost a hubcap last Tuesday.
"Common sense is dead," said local resident Karen Miller. "We have homeless camps growing behind the Safeway, our kids can't play at Lake Sacajawea because of toxic algae, and they're out here buying butterfly paint? I could've done that with a Home Depot bucket and a roller for fifty bucks. Who approved this? The same people who think a 'traffic calming plan' means a speed bump instead of fixing the drainage?"
The Longview Police Department has already responded to two fender-benders this morning as drivers slowed to take photos of the butterflies, causing a minor pile-up. The city manager's office declined comment but issued a press release saying the mural "promotes ecological awareness and community beautification."
The press release also noted that $47,000 could have instead purchased 940 new trash cans for downtown.
Share if you’re tired of your tax dollars being flushed down a painted drain. The city council meets Tuesday – let’s see if they finally use some common sense. 🦋📉
#LongviewWA #CommonSense #TaxpayerWaste #ButterflyGate #NotMyCityDollars