When Playground Fundraisers Become Savage: The Bricks That Roasted a Whole City Council
What do you do when your city’s fiscal shenanigans have left kids without a playground, millions of dollars in the hole, and a rusty gondola sitting as a monument to municipal mismanagement? If you’re a certain former Juneau school board member, you grab a chisel—metaphorically—and start immortalizing your grievances, one commemorative brick at a time.
This isn’t just any fundraiser. This is a masterclass in petty revenge—etched in stone, for all to read while their kids swing, slide, and hear the legend of the city’s $10 million gondola that went nowhere (and then needed $40 million to fix). Welcome to Juneau, Alaska, where the playground drama isn’t just for the kids.
A Rainy City, a Rusty Gondola, and One Muddy Playground
For those not up to speed on Juneau’s municipal drama, here’s the short version: The city “discovered” a casual $10 million school district debt—whoops, right?—and made a series of desperate moves. Middle and high schools were merged, leaving one building empty while alternative programs like Montessori and Charter schools were shunted into a former middle school with no real playground—just a swampy soccer pitch.
While the city has made some eyebrow-raising financial decisions (like buying a gondola for $10 million that now sits, rusting in the rainforest climate), the playground project for these kids kept getting pushed back and underfunded. Local parent groups finally started a fundraiser, selling $250 personalized bricks to pave the way for a new playground. But one former school board member saw an opportunity for a little poetic justice—and some public accountability.
When Fundraising Bricks Become Weapons of Mass (Petty) Destruction
Enter our hero: the ex-school board member who decided if he was going to pay for bricks, those bricks were going to tell the whole, unvarnished truth. As the original poster u/Fair_Musician2110 details, these bricks now bear messages like:
- “The City Prioritized A New City Hall Over a New Playground”
- “The City Funded a Gondola Over Fully Funding this Project”
- “The Assembly Fully Funded the Downtown Park. Not this one.”
- And, in a truly savage move, bricks calling out individual board members by name for voting against the playground.
This isn’t just petty—it’s performance art. As one commenter, u/ShiverrSugar, summed up, “ohhh the bricks part kills me.” It’s the kind of local legend that will live on as long as the playground itself.
And the city officials? According to the OP, “The current board members are very butt hurt over it, the residents here are meanwhile celebrating.” Like the classic internet meme, this is the “priceless” variety of petty revenge.
The Reddit Peanut Gallery: Roast Mode Activated
Reddit, of course, ate this story up. Top commenter u/chewbaccaballs wondered, “I think I'd buy another $10 mil gondola before I spent $40 mil to fix the first one,” to which u/BadManor snarked, “But then how could you steal the other $30M?” The city’s math may be fuzzy, but the sarcasm is razor-sharp.
Others, like u/automatic_shark, were baffled: “I forgot there's mountain gondolas, so when I saw where this takes places I immediately wondered why the fuck Alaska was buying gondolas at all, and how one could cost so fucking much.” Some even fantasized about their own brick messages, with u/likeablyweird proposing: “$40Mil to fix a gondola to let it rot again?” and “Hire an accountant.”
Amid the roasting, there were genuine revelations—did you know Juneau is part of a temperate rainforest? As u/WitchesCotillion marveled, “TIL Juneau is in a rainforest.” OP chimed in: “80 days of sun on average. 90 inches of precipitation (in downtown) per year.” That certainly explains why a gondola left outside didn’t fare so well.
Civic Accountability: Now in Stone
What makes this story stand out isn’t just the epic shade—it’s the broader message about civic engagement and holding leaders to account. As u/Kurigohan-Kamehameha suggested, “Maybe we should all chip in and get a few bricks ourselves. I bet we’d have interesting things to say.” The idea of a literal walkway of accountability—where every visitor to the new playground walks across a timeline of the city’s questionable priorities—is both hilarious and inspiring.
In the words of another commenter, u/SunMoonTruth, “They’re managing the money exactly how they want to. Putting it in their pockets.” While that may be a bit cynical, it’s clear the city’s residents aren’t letting their leaders off easy.
The Last Word: Let the Bricks (and the People) Speak
If there’s a lesson here, it’s that sometimes the best way to make your point is with a little creativity and a lot of community support. While city officials may be fuming, the people of Juneau are getting a playground—and a permanent reminder of why it took so long.
So next time you’re at a playground fundraiser, ask yourself: What would you put on your brick? Would you use it to honor someone, inspire a child, or—just maybe—make sure the folks in charge never forget who the playground is really for?
Let us know in the comments: What’s the best (or pettiest) way you’ve seen someone hold their city leaders accountable? And if you could write anything on a brick for the world to see, what would it say?
Playground drama, Juneau-style—now that’s how you build community.
Original Reddit Post: Former School Board member writes ‘disparaging comments’ on bricks for new playground