MASON COUNTY ADAGED A BULLETThe recent decision by Adage to cancel its plans to build a 55 MW biomass fueled plant at Johns Prairie Road Industrial Park was as close as Shelton ever wants to get to being known as the “Incinerator City of Western Washington".
Port of Shelton spin-doctors notwithstanding, the proposal ultimately died for lack of merit. Efforts by biomass opponents merely put the facts under the light of public scrutiny, and the rest, as they say, is history.
What we have learned from this arduous struggle is two things: 1) You can fool most of the people some of the time, but you can never fool some of the people any of the time and 2) By prematurely entering into a lease option agreement with Adage, some Port Commissioners have cast serious doubt on their ability to make objective decisions on the part of the public; tens of thousands of dollars have been wasted on unnecessary legal fees, and good will has been irreversibly lost.
That said, the opportunity to replace a bad business plan with a good one will never be better. If there is any good that came from the whole Adage fiasco, it is that we have learned Mason County is rich in talented, intelligent and dedicated people eager to alter the direction of our community.
We are our own best leaders; we know what is fair, equitable and prosperous for our community when we see it; now we need to create it. This is not as difficult as it may seem; the hard part is changing minds; changing direction follows, naturally.
Getting involved in the various advisory committees and task force efforts is the first step toward any economic recovery. Trying to change minds after the process has been set in motion is much more difficult than starting off in the right direction.
Not enough community involvement has led us to poor proposals like Adage. We must learn from this close call and get ourselves back on the right track. Let’s work together. Let’s get involved. Let’s git ‘er done.
Tom, you and one of my favorite radio talk show commentators, Thom Hartmann, both recommend this approach for making change happen in our communities. Get involved locally and do it now.
ReplyDeleteOur community has received a reprieve. Let's take advantage of it and create our future, rather than have it inflicted upon us.
I'm with you, John; if there was a better way, I'd be all over it. I like Thom too; the guy knows how to make a buck and, not only keep his moral compass pointed in the right direction, but actually make a positive difference. That's not easy to do in today's world.
ReplyDeleteThank you Tom Davis for your tireless efforts on behalf of our community.
ReplyDeleteI was very pleased to see a picture of you and Amy on the front page of the March 17 Journal under the capition: Adios Adage.
You are right. This sentence is means a lot. All depends on us. We are our best survivor. Your article is perfectly define this thing.
ReplyDeleteeyelift