THE WEEK IN REVIEW
So much to report on the biomass to plutocracy issue, but first let’s dispatch with the regular Mason County BOCC meeting, held Tuesday morning:
In an attempt to retain some control over our local problems, I pledged to oppose Senate Bill 5228, which seeks to transfer a critical area of local authority to special, state, energy council, the purpose of which is to expedite the permit process relative for the sustainable energy industry.
I urged Mason County Commissioners to publicly oppose this bill, even suggesting we carpool to the hearing at the State Capitol. But as you might expect, mere citizen words stand little chance against industry dollars, and not a single one of our Commissioners bothered to attend, even to defend their authority.
Thurston County Commissioners, on the other hand, were out in force; vocal, poised, articulate and filled with the true spirit of duty to their constituents. When it comes to Commissioners, our board is like an old, tired, jalopy bumping off the curbs, while the board of Thurston County is like a sleek, new, sports car blazing down the road and into the future. I love sports cars…
Anyway, the hearing on SB 5228 also turned out to be a big nothing (though I had to leave early), as it pertained only to small, sustainable, energy proposals aimed at producing 100kw or less of electricity. Slippery slope, to be sure, but the current terrain of Mason County politics is far more slippery.
On the bright side, Monday’s ORCCA meeting couldn’t have gone better had opponents of biomass planned it. As the panel from ORCAA sat, iron-faced, while, the parade of opponents testifying against the Adage biomass proposal seemed never to end. And, while a small number of proponents of biomass did stand and parrot the Adage company line of jobs, jobs, jobs, about 90% of them didn’t even reside in Mason County, and the rest crashed and burned under the weight of their own ignorance.
We should all thank the big Kahuna in the sky for any small victory but, none should think our scientifically-based concerns will have the slightest impact on ORCAA’s decision to issue a permit to Adage.
Moving on to Tuesday’s Port of Shelton meeting: there’s really nothing new to report. Hupp and Wallitner voted to renew the contract of their EDC buddy, Matt Matayoshi, over several objections from the audience. Matt defended himself by taking credit for bringing Adage to Mason County. (Nah, that’s just too easy; I’m gonna let Matt swing on his own petard on that one.)
There were, however, some moments at the Port meeting (97 of them, actually) when, for just the briefest of moments, one did not wonder if driving a wooden stake into one’s eye might be less painful. For nearly three hours Commissioners Miles and Hupp engaged in the worst case of “You’re a jerk"...“ No. You’re a jerk” I’ve ever seen. For the audience, it was like being strapped to the hood of clown-car as it went careening off a cliff. Most of us would have gladly hacked a pinky-toe off with a butter knife if it would have gotten us out of there.
But we stayed, and we watched the spectacle that is our local government in action. And all the time I’m thinking, “I wonder if there’s a house for sale in Thurston County?”
Remember, February 7, 5:30 PM, we all need to support the Thurston County Moratorium on biomass.
SHELTON BLOG NOTE:
Link to Thurston County Moratorium Info Post:
SUPPORT THURSTON COUNTY MORATORIUM!
We've thought the same thing, Tom. It appears so far that the citizens "do matter" in Thurston county. We've written, as have so many others, in support of the Moratorium -- now, let's see how the BOCC meeting goes tomorrow evening!!
ReplyDeleteThis community of air breathers is so blessed to have a member like you, Tom, who attends so many of these events and keeps fellow air-breathers up to date on happenings. Thank you so very much!
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