Submitted to Shelton Blog by John Cox
There Were Never Any Red Lights At All
What is the EPA's or ORCAA's real job?
I'm not talking about the stated mission or policy statements or any of that. I'm talking about what really goes on. What it looks like when you look back in a time a bit.
The politicians have a problem. The industries in this country that are the toxin producing polluters are also the guys with the big bucks. It has become really clear lately that Big Bucks Rule! Big Power, Big Pharma, Big Chemical, Big Oil, and the rest of the Bigs all need to pollute and spread their toxic products and by-products around in order to maintain their tainted profits.
There is a minor problem with this...that's us, the citizens. We are the flys in their ointment. We are the bugs in the big bucks' political pomade.
In some countries, this is not a problem. If you protest or make a fuss, you are either forced to leave or be killed. Easy. Here in the US, however, there is still a façade of democracy, and there is still a façade of justice. The bit of protection we have remaining, slows down and forces the Big Bucks Guys to be a little sneakier.
Now if I was a Big Bucks Guy who didn't care if I polluted the hell out of the environment, risked the health of thousands, and in general acted in a sociopathic manner so I could make LOT$ of money, what would I do?
I would buy enough influence with the politicians to establish a government organization that would appear to protect the citizenry. It would have lots of experts, scientists and equipment, and rules and regulations that would sound very protective. It would even actually appear to do a little good once in a while, but it still would be just a façade, a sham.
But in the end, the real purpose of such an organization would be to allow the Big Bucks Guys to have their own way while making us citizens think we are being protected from their $elf $erving agendas.
Take a close look at what's happening with ORCAA and ADAGE. ADAGE wants in. ORCAA stands at the door. The ORCAA machinery whirls and whirrs for a while, and then the green light flashes on. GO ADAGE GO!
But...take a closer look. There were never any red lights at all.
"The first job of a citizen is to keep your mouth open,
and often the collective mouth of the American public
must roar in order to be heard...and make things right."
Jim Hightower
must roar in order to be heard...and make things right."
Jim Hightower
www.masoncountyprogressive.net Mason County Progressive
How right you are. There is one thing, however, and that is that the path of arrogance runs closely parallel to that of stupidity. And followers of each tend to end up at the same place. Keep the faith.
ReplyDeleteLove your post John, and your comment Tom!
ReplyDeleteIt sure looks like everyone we thought was working for the citizens has a different boss: Big Bucks.
Dear John and Christine,
ReplyDeleteYOU are our modern day THOMAS PAYNE!
He never gave up regardless --- please, don't you give up regardless!
Thank you, John and Christine, for ALL your Valued and Necessary Posts to us, your readers!
You are right --- it will take a LOUD VOICE from we Mason County Citizens!!! Not just from the few who show up at meetings and so forth! We are so hoping that the vast majority of the citizens of Mason County will realize this --- will Spread the Word to Others!!! Our COLLECTIVE fight cannot continue to be fought by the few.
Please, John and Christine, keep on persevering!!
I second that thank you.
ReplyDeleteDuring the time when the office of the president was delivered to the Bush Crime Family by the Supreme Court of the United States, it was only the sane voices of the commentators on Air America that kept me from losing my mind.
Now that my community is in real and present danger from its' political leadership and local and foreign corporate evil-doers, I am so happy to find sane voices right in my backyard.
Tom and Dick do some pretty fancy good-works for the environment and this community too! My gratitude to you all.
Keep it light.
Proponents of biomass use the tactic of repeating lies till few people can distinguish them from the truth. Case in point: We are not a small group of opponents attempting to dictate policy to the many, but a small group of activists representing the views of the vast majority. During the recent campaign, our door-belling survey had opponents to proponents at 70 to 1, respectively. Kathy Haig had her own survey at about 100 to 1. Our numbers are overwhelmingly in the majority, which is why we were not given the opportunity to vote on the issue. It's been said that we are all entitled to our own opinion, but not our own set of facts. It follows that the problem we, opponents of biomass have, is not in our numbers but in the willingness of our local officials to do the job they were elected to do- REPRESENT US!
ReplyDelete