Submitted to Shelton Blog by John Cox Mason County Progressive
Editor, the Journal:
At present, Simpson Lumber and Olympic Panel provide quite a few jobs for our community. We accept the negative aspects of their presence in Shelton, like the pollution for example, because of these jobs. Another way of describing this relationship is "symbiosis", a relationship of mutual benefit.
Imagine a Shelton in which Simpson and Olympic Panel exist, but somehow provide no jobs for local residents.
With the noise, tons of pollutants, and an appearance resembling a malignant tumor, how long do you think we would allow Simpson and Olympic Panel to operate here without providing any benefits to our community?
One day? One week? Not long to be sure. Why would we?
Back in the real world, we know why Simpson and friends are still here. Again, it's the jobs.
Now, however, Simpson has given birth to another new child. This one is called the $olomon Renewable Energy Company. This new company's sole purpose is to build a new biomass incinerator in downtown Shelton in order to sell electricity to the highest bidder.
Simpson has publicly stated that this new incinerator would bring 2-3 new jobs. You can believe what you want about those numbers, but there is no doubt about this new incinerator producing tons and tons of pollutants to which thousands of our citizens would be exposed.
With $impson/$olomon's proposed second biomass incinerator, our previously mentioned fantasy would become our new reality. We would get the increased noise, tons of increased pollution and an even uglier downtown. All of this would be ours with little or no benefit to our community. $olomon's relationship to the community would a parasitic one rather than symbiotic.
What a deal!
John Cox
Shelton
Wonderful letter, John; puts the two operations into perspective.
ReplyDeleteI hope it helps ordinary folks realize the difference in what is offered by Simpson's continued operation in our harbor (some living wage jobs for Mason County families), and the proposed operation of Simpson's love child, Solomon(almost no jobs to speak of and greatly increased pollution in our community).
Thank You, John!
ReplyDeleteWe were so glad to see your very clear and informative article printed in the Journal -- at last!