Columbus Capitol Statue Past Due For Deep Cleaning
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) - Christopher Columbus's last appeal to Queen Isabella is one of the first things people see when they enter the Capitol. But the last thing they expect to see is dirt - and lots of it.
He may have sailed the ocean blue. But these days his statue in the rotunda is looking more gray than white.
"Looks like she got a tan," one tourist said Friday.
"Looking at it, it is pretty dirty," another said.
The statue is riddled with dust and grime, from the hands, to the nose, even dirt dangling from the queen's royal ears.
No one's taken a duster to the statue in four years. And the last time Columbus and the queen got a thorough cleaning was all the way back in 1992 - 20 years ago - even though experts say it should be cleaned every three to four years.
Capitol officials say it's not a matter of wanting to clean it. It's all a matter of money, which the state doesn't have much of these days. 8
"The deep cleaning, obviously it is time for that to be done," Capitol spokesman Marc Hedlund said. "We understand that it's taken time to do that. It costs money."
Hedlund said staff has to spread out cleanings for things such as the statue, the carpet, tile, chandeliers, etc.
"As everyone knows in the state, we have a lot of other priorities given our budgetary constraints," he said.
Capitol officials say they'd made arrangements to clean it last week until they heard a student protest was going to happen.
Monday Capitol occupiers occupied the statue, covering it with protest signs, so the cleaning was rescheduled for later this month.
But some say they actually don't mind the dirt.
"It's an old statue and I think it brings nostalgia," Capitol visitor Richard Bruning said.
Bruning believes we should leave Columbus and state officials alone.
"If people are unhappy about it being dirty, then they can pay for it out of their pocket instead of it coming out of our state budget," he said.
Officials say the cleaner will come in with what amounts to an electric toothbrush and go over the statue inch by inch. It's expected to be an all-day project at a cost of about $1,000.
