Brrrrrrr rump.
Brrrrrrr rump.
Brrrrrrr rump!
When
I hear the soundtrack of the movie Jaws,
the hairs on my forearms jump to attention.
And ever since that 1975 thriller, I don’t put a toe in salt water
without hearing the orchestra’s strings, woodwinds, horns and percussion pieces
making that eerie sound.
When
the wave of reality from Republic’s latest proposal washed over me, I was 250
miles from the nearest ocean. Still, I
could hear the brrrrrr rump … brrrrrr
rump … brrrrrr rump! That led me on
a curiosity field trip. I wanted to know
what instruments were making the hairs dance on my arms. YouTube took me to the Boston Pops in
concert.
I recognized
French horns and assorted instruments, but I didn’t know what some were. That’s when I turned to my boyhood friend, Lee
Riggins, a master musician and retired college administrator, for help. The tingling opening bars are courtesy of
contrabassoons, bassoons and double basses.
Thanks, Dr.
Riggins.
Lee, too, has
been following the environmental saga in his hometown. So far, I have yet to talk to anyone—other
than people on Republic’s payroll—who thinks Wayne County is getting a fair
shake in this turn of events. In fact, a
comment referring to Jaws was
repeated more than once: “Just when you
thought it was safe to go back into the water.”
Perhaps you’ve
been watching the Discovery Channel’s “Shark Week.” With our officials about to wade into
negotiations with Republic, how’s that for timing? Sharks are beautiful creatures and serve a
purpose in our ecosystem. However, you
don’t have to watch Jaws to know a
shark can rip you to pieces.
To Wall Street
investors, waste-management conglomerates are “beautiful” and money-making
creatures. Otherwise, why would Bill
Gates have billions invested in Republic Services Inc.? Companies such as
Republic serve a very useful purpose.
People create enormous piles of garbage and waste, and Republic has
capitalized on the opportunity. That’s
the free-enterprise system at work. But
just like sharks, businesses can become dangerously aggressive.
Republic knows
our community is staunchly opposed to more toxic waste being dumped in the Broadhurst
Environmental Landfill. It’s a
less-than-desirable location for regular garbage, let alone dangerous coal
ash. Wayne County made a mistake 25
years ago by opening the door to an outsider-controlled landfill.
Beyond the
slick contracts and flashing of legal teeth, I have been and will continue to be nauseated by the way behemoths prey on
poor, rural communities. These companies
know places such as Wayne County are cash-strapped. We become easy targets and sacrifice zones for
dumping what other communities don’t want.
“Easy” money tends to make the fine print easy to overlook.
There’s an old
saying: “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.” That’s what should be on the minds of those
representing us at the negotiation table.
I have a suspicion that Republic’s latest proposal is a ploy to make us
say: “Oh, no. We can’t afford to keep
out coal ash. Let’s keep the old 50-year
agreement.” And then the giant in this
David-and-Goliath battle can spin the outcome in its favor by saying: “Well, we
gave you a chance, and you turned it down.”
I once heard a
fellow say, “If that’s not right, my bleep
is a bass fiddle.”
Well, if I’m
wrong—brrrrrr rump … brrrrrr rump …
brrrrrr rump—my backside is a contrabassoon.
dnesmith@cninewspapers.com
