Some ideas, good or bad, are worth remarking on promptly.
Some, but not all: there are times when a proposal is so destructive of a community’s well-being, so terribly misguided, that a few remarks, or even many, would not be enough.
In those times, one meets a light, misplaced enthusiasm with diligent, well-placed work.
It was one year ago to this day, on December 3, 2013 at around 8 PM, that Whitewater’s Wastewater Superintendent cheerily broached another ignorant & destructive plan for a waste digester in Whitewater.
The idea, simply put, would be to make Whitewater the repository for other communities’ human and animal waste, and all manner of filth that could be trucked from cities that didn’t want it, to be delivered to our small, residential town.
I’ve written about it only briefly since. Better to spend the year in preparation, it seemed, than commentary. And so, that’s what I’ve done. For much of the last year, this has been my effort from this particular vantage: to research and to prepare for this subject.
Along the way, I’ve written a few posts that describe how the long work yet ahead seems to me, and thought of earlier posts that reminded me to work still harder.
In the end, one begins each day from The Better Approach of the Dark-Horse Underdog, recognizes that sugary promises contribute to Local Government’s Vendor Problem, that one can profit by Frédéric Bastiat’s Gift to Whitewater, believing that grandiose ideas deserve more scrutiny than The Peddler’s Egg, that Public Choice Theory Inoculates People from Poor Policy, and that there should be six clear and defined Steps for Blogging on a Policy or Proposal.
In all this, I am convinced yet again that the right standards for Whitewater eclipse giddy cheerleading.
It’s been a year well and truly spent.
For all the preparation, steady and thorough, I’ve also felt a deepening love and hope for our small and beautiful city, convinced as I am that a New Whitewater is inevitable, that there will be no going back.
One would prefer not to contend over this; far more, one would betray oneself, and all one believes, not to contend in opposition.
One year on, a decade, or even a generation from now: a few dark proposals require a diligent, zealous opposition whenever they should appear, to the very fullest of one’s ability.
NO WAY Whitewater should ever do this. NO WAY!
Communities that have tried to get waste from other places this way can get ruined over it. It’s a political mess and a mess to their reputations. Only people who are politically deaf would keep pushing this idea, so you have a big advantage arguing with people in government who want it. If the idea stays in small groups it will get a bit of support from clueless people. Once it breaks out into mainstream discussion and people realize what it does to their environment and their property values, the backlash would be huge.
Weird. Considering that Whitewater tried this before with another company there should have been some awareness about the downside of this idea. Bringing in big amounts of waste into a little city adds to controversy. I agree with the other commenter that the longer into the project it goes, the worse it gets for people behind the idea.
Seriously, though, you’ve remembered this for the one year anniversary date without any big push during a whole year to argue against it like you did last time? It’s not like you couldn’t have written a lot at each point in the year. You’ve said a few things but not much this time. That tells me that you know that it plays badly the longer it goes. I’m not saying that you could have stopped it sooner but it does serve your position to let it go on until the going gets harder.
What’s weird is that everyone didn’t get this too (or didn’t get it enough).
You’re better off calling yourself an underdog or a dark horse than being overconfident like the people driving this.
this is a **totally** disgusting idea for whitewater.
Keep going, John. Don’t you dare stop until this repulsive plan is shredded into a million tiny pieces of paper. Whitewater would never be a place to “live, work, and play” with a project like this. How silly and strange is it that anyone would think differently? You keep for fighting for what’s right.