- We are sick and tired of industry coming in and taking
advantage of communities without tourism-political clout-influence or deep
pockets. We are sick and tired of these public private partnerships that
see the public paying with industry playing. Citizens are made responsible
for all costs with the result being the highest electric rates--pulverized
infra-structures-horrific health problems--and toxins poisoning our environments.
Be it hog farms, incinerators, sludge, or tons of garbage from the cities....enough
is enough! You make the filth--you take care of it....rural America is
not your dumping ground. Industry you will note does not live where it
defecates. Stay Out of Our State...All Who Mean To Destroy!
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- Per today's editorial-Eagle Times,Jan 29-03--Claremont-NH.
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- I do not wish at this time to argue the "Good doggy--shoo
go home now"--editorial having to do with ordinary citizens making
a difference and bringing the confusing--layered--convoluted--obscene electrical
rates visited on, for the main part, the citizens of Claremont-due to the
reported 1987, "win-win, innovative-new concept" of burning garbage
for lights at the incinerator on Grissom Lane.
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- Where regulators-industry-local and state officials,
and the Judicial system, had for years kept the details of net vs. gross,
size of generating capacity, loopholed language in original contracts;
with industry dumping all costs onto the citizens--reneging on citizens
realizing part of the electrical revenues (bid for bankruptcy), being made
responsible for industry's taxes and all liabilities (win-win for whom?);
it took citizens putting away their bowling balls, bingo chips, darning
eggs, and hazy lazy days of traveling life's highways, breaking the 'monotony'
of their dreary-boring-ho-hum lives to say, "Enough is enough. Enough
of astronomical legal fees, resulting in the few realizing opulent lifestyles,
while we saw electric rates going up monthly with no end in sight. Enough
of legalese, double-speak and corporate-speak; insinuating that the 'simple-common
folk' were just too dull-dimwitted-unlearned and illiterate to understand
the finer points of quarterly reports, stock options, contracts, and profits
over people, and an interstate commerce clause identifying garbage as a
protected commodity." It took citizens entering in as intervenors
after approaching their representatives with the issue in Concord and being
told, "Ha-ha, everyone knows you people got the contract from hell--if
you're having a problem why not annex yourselves to Vermont". We are
not at liberty to discuss with you the elation of our having made the difference
in bringing about more equitable rates for our neighbors--despite the "drumming"
and political posturing of those who once identified us as "drinkers-gamblers-and
carousers" and told us, "the interstate commerce clause means
nothing." No, it wasn't these strutting-self congratulatory-egotistical-public
plumaged ones who spent month in month out, year in and year out around
kitchen tables writing arguments and briefs, attending meeting after meeting
and hearing after exhaustive hearing! Your editorial implies that the contributions
of citizens, while commendable (good doggy) it's now time for their forays
into the corporate/political world to end and let the big moneyed boys
get down to the business at hand, without anymore of this distracting yammering
and whining! Time for us to get back to our sitcoms, tented lawn picnics,
mopping floors and six packs. Dust off those bowling balls--take up needlepoint
or some 'safe-politically correct' hobby, like bird watching, cleaning
up rivers or hey, build a nature trail!
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- We're not so, hello, so obtuse that we need an editorial
to tell us when we've been out spent and out maneuvered by those who get
paid big bucks to deal with "the fringe, sub-group, acceptable risks,
abutters, simpletons, rabble-rousers, extremists, trouble-makers, ANYBODY,
nobody, tree huggers, etc." You didn't disappoint today when you identified
us as "other". You weren't the first with this 'label'. We saw
ourselves identified as "other" when we were invited to a sham
facilitating process.
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- We have names and occupations outside of our participation
in issues that vitally concern the well-being of our community. Industry
calls us "acceptable-risks, and abutters". The Department of
Environmental Services calls us a "sub-group". Others refer to
us as "anybody or nobody". You refer to us as "other".
We "others" purchase your paper and contribute our opinions.
Like those we've dealt with in various meetings, hearings, gatherings or
personal relationships you do us a great disservice by dismissing us as
mere "others".
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- Besides the intervenors in this process you negate the
multitude of citizens who were involved. We are poets, authors, loggers,
farmers, clerks, teachers, a world renowned sculptor , nurses, business
people, care givers, social workers, musicians, cancer survivors, carpenters,
counselors, veterans, crafts people, engineers, and the independently wealthy.
We are not mere "OTHERS". We are not "human-resources, the
herd, the masses, useless eaters, breeders, carousers, drinkers, gamblers,
trailer trash nor white trash." You don't identify your newspaper
as "Other News"....give us the same courtesy.
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