WASHINGTON STATE Cash-strapped town faces costly suit over Ten Commandments

Everett officials have cut $3.4 million because of costs unrelated to the suit.
EVERETT, Wash. (AP) -- Tough economic times have forced this blue-collar city north of Seattle to live lean. The mayor has cut hours at both libraries, reduced park ranger patrols and laid off 17 workers.
Meanwhile, Everett has spent close to six figures defending itself against a lawsuit that seeks $1 in punitive damages and the removal of a Ten Commandments monument from the front of the police station.
There's a growing sense of annoyance among residents over the legal costs.
"I think this lawsuit is ridiculous, but as a matter of practicality, I'd move it," said Phil Nichols, a county worker. "We don't have the money for this. The principle's not worth it."
The 6-foot granite monument has stood on public land in front of the old city hall, now the police station, since 1959, when it was donated by the Fraternal Order of Eagles. The Eagles gave similar monuments to American towns during the '50s and '60s to encourage good morals and promote Cecil B. DeMille's movie "The Ten Commandments."
Agnostic files suit
Jesse Card, an agnostic, filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Seattle last summer, saying the monument violates the separation of church and state. He has suggested that the city move the monolith to a nearby church.
But city officials say the monument recognizes the Ten Commandments as a historical legal document and does not promote religion, unlike the 21/2-ton Ten Commandments memorial hauled out of the Alabama Supreme Court's rotunda last year.
The monuments have become the focus of lawsuits across the country. Several cities have had their legal expenses paid by a conservative Christian organization, the American Center for Law and Justice, founded by Pat Robertson.
But Everett hasn't had any assistance with the bill -- $70,000 and counting.
City officials expect that by the time a ruling is issued, the tab will exceed $100,000, and an appeal would probably cost $50,000 more. If the city loses, it could also be required to pay Card's legal expenses.
Budget cuts
Meanwhile, as the lawsuit heads toward an October trial date, the city cut $3.4 million from its budget this spring, largely because of rising health-care costs and falling tax revenues. In community meetings, Mayor Ray Stephanson has cited those factors and legal expenses, including the Commandments case, as reasons for cutting workers.
Among those laid off was city biologist Liz Greenhagen, who was responsible for ensuring construction projects met environmental standards. She said the lawsuit's costs seem frivolous compared with the basic services that were cut.