San Antonio: Did You Really Think This Through?

I love the city of San Antonio, TX. I spent several years there in college back in the 1980s. And the beautiful downtown River Walk is one of the major attractions of the city. But I have to wonder if the city leaders really thought through the new Christmas lights display that they installed this year. Here is what the lights look like at night:

OK--those are real trees, lining a river that meanders through the downtown area of a major city... densely wrapped top-to-bottom in Christmas lights.

I wonder what else might be in those trees...

(Slaps forehead) Oh yeah!

And now the city is surprised at the amount of damage that the squirrels have done to their new Christmas lighting display, and wondering what they can do to stop the squirrels from chewing the wires!

Here's a thought for the San Antonio city planners: The River Walk is a beautiful, scenic, pleasant and peaceful spot, an awesome asset to your city. For years you have gotten by with a more tasteful holiday lighting display. Based on what I see in the photos, the new display is not only tastelessly excessive, but looks like it has to get in the way of the squirrels and birds that inhabit those trees. I find it hard to believe nobody realized that the squirrels would chew through those wires. It's what they do! I wonder how many squirrels have been fatally electrocuted so far... this is not even mentioned in the article.

Please, San Antonio, take down those lights, admit you made a mistake, and go back to a more tasteful and wildlife-friendly display for next Christmas.