Which One is Different?

Submitted to Shelton Blog by Clear Cut

One of our County Commissioners has lost his mind. For a person with an MBA and who holds a relatively high position in state government, it appears he has run off the tracks or he has one or more serious medical issues.

On Tuesday, August 3, 2010, opponents to a biomass facility on Johns Prairie presented the county commissioners with 3000 petition signatures to put biomass on the local ballot. The Mason County Physicians read a letter warning of the health risks of locating the facility in Shelton and the Hiawatha property owners presented a letter opposing the plant after two real estate deals for half million dollar homes were scuttled because of the proposed plant. KING5 TV and FOX national news covered the story.

KING5 provided coverage at 5:00 PM and included an interview with Commissioner/State Senator Tim Sheldon, wherein Mr. Sheldon compared a 60 MW woody biomass incinerator to a 7-11 convenience store.

When I was in school, we used to periodically have testing to determine if we learned anything and presumably, to inform the school as to what subjects we might need help with or if a student may have some more serious issues. I remember distinctly, early on, some of those questions. They usually had a series of pictures with one or two items quite different than the others. You know, a series of animals and a truck or something, and then they asked; "Which one is different", or "which one is larger" or any variation on one being different than the others in the group.

So last night I was thinking, what must little Timmy Sheldon's teacher been thinking when he answered those questions, and did he score well on the basic IQ tests in school? I hear Tim Sheldon is a smart person, but what has been coming out of his mouth lately has me wondering if he hasn't undergone some blunt head trauma or if he is suffering from early onset dementia.

My Mother has dementia and is in an assisted living facility, and frankly, she and Tim Sheldon seem to be struggling with simple associations and comparisons. But my Mother has a doctor, has been diagnosed and is on medications to help. She has a good excuse. I'm worried about my mom and now I'm worried about Senator/Commissioner Sheldon.

I suspect most readers will easily understand the difference between a 7-11 and the biomass plant proposed for Shelton, but just in case I'll list a few here.

1. We would know exactly how many jobs a 7-11 would provide.

2. Slurpees can cause "brain freeze" but won't kill you or cause a stroke, heart attack or endanger your health.

3. Southland Corporation (the owners of 7-11) isn't the largest CO2 producer in the United States and has little use for carbon credits.

4. 7-11 wouldn't require extensive road upgrades or maintenance, new highway over-passes, interchanges, sewer, water, gas lines or additional police, fire and public services at public expense.

5. 7-11 wouldn't have special tax breaks provided by Senator Sheldon, so they would pay sales, use, property and business and occupations taxes, where the biomass plant doesn't and won't.

6. 7-11 might get one or two truckloads of supplies a week, where the biomass plant will get 8 truckloads an hour, which is why Senator/Commissioner Sheldon wants all those fancy road upgrades at taxpayer expense.

7. 7-11 doesn't emit 380 tons of particulate air pollution per year.

8. 7-11 would sell to and benefit locals. They wouldn't sell Shelton Slurpees to California.

9. 7-11 wouldn't stink-up the place or alter the Ph of Puget Sound or Hood Canal endangering our shellfish industry.

10. 7-11's don't have 200 foot tall smokestacks. They don't look anything alike.

These are just a few of the differences between a 7-11 and the biomass incinerator Senator/Commissioner Sheldon wants. I'm sure our readers can identify more.

It makes a person wonder....what is in it for Senator/Commissioner Sheldon? There MUST be a payback somewhere for someone to be so blatantly and purposely ignorant. OR it's blunt head trauma or early dementia. It's up to you to decide dear reader.

Can we entrust anyone with such a marked observational deficit to elected office?

The voters are faced with some serious considerations this fall.