I urge the County Commissioners to put ADAGE on the ballot. Ask the voters for an up or down vote.
Comparing ADAGE to a car wash at Taylor Town is just silly. Bringing ADAGE to Mason County is a significant event. A car wash at Taylor Town doesn't carry the same level of risk that ADAGE does. While I don't think minor decisions should go before the voter, there are too many citizens who"ve said they have concerns.
I'm sticking with my two basic questions: Why is ADAGE good for Mason County? What are the risks and costs associated with this decision? Each of us as voters should be allowed the chance to tell our County Commissioners whether we agree or disagree with bringing ADAGE to Mason County.
What I'm learning as I talk to people, whether they agree or disagree with the ADAGE construction, nearly everyone wants to see this decision on the November ballot. People on both sides want an advisory ballot on ADAGE. At less than $1100 it's an inexpensive way to get a sensing of the public.
What could be wrong with asking the citizens where they stand on this issue?
Saturday, June 19, 2010
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I completely agree! This project has possible effects that will seriously damage the quality of life here in Shelton. I, for one, don't want to smell a campfire 24/7 especially when there is no rest and relaxation involved. Should we vote on every little thing? Of course not! Something that is going to possibly harm our health and well being, not to mention property values.....Heck yeah!
ReplyDeleteBrenda - there is always "be careful what you ask for." We are seeing campaigns across the country won solely on money, thanks to the United States Supreme Court, and there is a fair chance that the money Adage could throw at a ballot on this would be enormous, and our resources would be what they are... modest. In the event this matter would be decided not on its merits, not on the science we have all been studying these past few months, but on the last minute, emotional attack, fraught with lies or not, of an organization that dwarfs the citizens. That's what could happen. That said, I still want to put it to a vote because I am ever optimistic that the truth and science has to win. But the playing field is clearly not level between the concerned citizens, the uninformed citizens, and the might of Duke, Areva and Adage, not to mention certain local political figures who are so looking forward to selling their timber!
ReplyDeleteI wonder when people are going to catch on to the lack of planning by our supposed leaders.
ReplyDeleteI asked Ross Gallagher what was going to happen with all the construction workers kids flooding into our schools for 3 to 4 years and he said
"I don't know, that isn't my job".
Is he kidding? He's a county commissioner for crying out loud! Of course it's his job!
So what is our poor school district going to do? They already have a budget deficit. An unplanned influx of 400-700 families worth of children with no classrooms to house them is going to be a disaster. But Ross (and apparently his poor planning cohorts) think it's okay to short-change the education of Mason County's kids for four years? He should be given the broom for that alone! Aren't those kids current taxpayers kids? What has Adage paid? Not one red cent, except a permit fee.
Then we have the fast talking Adage lobbyists and their slick but misleading Journal ads saying they will be paying $1 million in taxes to the schools. Folks, they KNOW this is a lie!
Our schools get basic state funding, then everything else is paid by M&O levies. That means Adage won't pay one penny toward Shelton Schools unless we pass a levy increased by $1 million. $1 million is a drop in the bucket when we don't have classrooms for those children.
And we all know they won't pay a dime of B&O, sales or use taxes by state law, nor will they pay ANY property taxes until the plant is operational. So guess who that leaves to pay for the additional 1000-1500 new students?
Apparently our genius leaders don't have any idea what will happen to Shelton- BOOM TOWN USA- for three to four years due to their short-sightedness and lack of planning. Then of course it will all fall as quickly as the rain leaving us with 24 jobs, the taxes, the mess and a bunch of underpriviledged children.
It has taken Elma and Satsop decades to overcome their boomtown excesses and the landscape is still littered with wrecked mobile homes, trailers and gravel pits, not to mention the monuments to their lack of planning, the cooling towers. In the meantime we are busy chasing after Greece, Spain, Hungary, Italy and Ireland while our debt to GDP ratio is higher than all of them and Alan Greenspan says we are the verge of having OUR credit downgraded.
And we think we need to subsidize wall street energy firms with corporate welfare? What happened to free markets, free enterprise and risk/return? Have we lost our minds? Why are we letting corporations take risks with OUR money?
We need more than an advisory ballot! We need nationwide debt counselling! No matter what Tim Sheldon, Lynda Ring Erickson, Ross Gallagher or Adage say, money does NOT grow on trees.
People, you better put a stop to this madness before they bankrupt all of us and our grandkids with their endless greed. When this is all said and done you are going to wish the pollution will kill you, because if it doesn't the debt and taxes will.