[Vision2020] Megaloads and Hippies

[lfalen]

Henry recently quit the republican party. He is somewhat of a maverick. He got upset over the potential invite of Laura Ingraham.
Roger
-----Original message-----
From: "Shirley Ringo" ringoshirl at moscow.com
Date: Tue, 07 Jun 2011 14:16:41 -0700
To: "Borg Hendrickson" chicory at wildblue.net, "Brett Haverstick" bhaverstick at yahoo.com
Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Megaloads and Hippies

> Henry was a page in the Legislature a few years ago.  The last I knew, he worked for Radio Shack in Pullman.  He is a pretty strong Republican, with quite "big business" leanings.
> 
> Over time, he has been a regular contributor to the Daily News.
> 
> Shirley
> 
> Shirley
>   ----- Original Message ----- 
>   From: Borg Hendrickson 
>   To: Brett Haverstick 
>   Cc: Tom Hansen ; Moscow Vision 2020 ; Dinah Zeiger ; Friends of the Clearwater ; Fritz Knorr ; Helen Yost ; Jane Kauzlarich ; Jeanne McHale ; Joann Muneta ; Lin Laughy ; Marilyn Beckett ; Sally Perrine ; Shirley Ringo ; Tom Trail ; Vera White ; Wild Idaho Rising Tide 
>   Sent: Tuesday, June 07, 2011 8:33 AM
>   Subject: Re: Megaloads and Hippies
> 
> 
>   Not me.
> 
> 
> 
> 
>   On Jun 7, 2011, at 7:25 AM, Brett Haverstick wrote:
> 
> 
>     Does anyone know who Henry Johnston is, where he lives and what he does for a living?
> 
> 
> 
> 
>     Brett
> 
> 
> 
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>     From: Tom Hansen <thansen at moscow.com>
>     To: Moscow Vision 2020 <vision2020 at moscow.com>
>     Cc: Borg Hendrickson <chicory at wildblue.net>; Brett Haverstick <bhaverstick at yahoo.com>; Dinah Zeiger <dzeiger at uidaho.edu>; Friends of the Clearwater <foc at friendsoftheclearwater.org>; Fritz Knorr <fritzknorr at gmail.com>; Helen Yost <helen.yost at vandals.uidaho.edu>; Jane Kauzlarich <indigo3239 at msn.com>; Jeanne McHale <jeannemchale at hotmail.com>; Joann Muneta <Jmuneta at uidaho.edu>; Lin Laughy <lin at wildblue.net>; Marilyn Beckett <marilynbeckett at gmail.com>; Sally Perrine <sperrine at potlatch.com>; Shirley Ringo <ringoshirl at moscow.com>; Tom Trail <ttrail at moscow.com>; Vera White <vnwhite at cableone.net>; Wild Idaho Rising Tide <wild.idaho.rising.tide at gmail.com>
>     Sent: Tue, June 7, 2011 6:08:21 AM
>     Subject: Megaloads and Hippies
> 
>     Courtesy of today's (June 7, 2011) Moscow-Pullman Daily News.
> 
>     ------------------------------
> 
>     Moscow-Pullman Daily News - DNews.com
>     HIS VIEW: An issue of facts, not emotions
> 
>     By Henry D. Johnston
>     June 7, 2011
> 
>     About a month ago the city of Moscow hosted a public forum to discuss the
>     potential of moving ExxonMobil's megaloads through Moscow on U.S. Highway
>     95. The meeting was preceded by a good old-fashioned protest,
>     demonstrating the true size of a megaload and decrying what it will do to
>     Moscow's precious trees.
> 
>     It has been a long time since Moscow's hippies have dug out their leather
>     vests, put on their Birkenstocks and readjusted their graying ponytails in
>     an effort to rally "the movement" against "the man." There's something
>     about a protest to get the blood pumping and, as the Berkeley of north
>     Idaho, Moscow really knows how to throw one.
> 
>     Quite frankly, I've missed it.
> 
>     After watching the video of the public forum (courtesy of local politico
>     Tom Hansen) I think it's pretty obvious the vocal minority of Moscow's
>     residents don't care about the movement of the megaloads as much as they
>     care about the broader impact of what happens when the loads arrive at the
>     Kearl oil sands in Canada.
> 
>     While I'm not unsympathetic to the broader implications, I think it's
>     inappropriate to try to block the transportation of these loads through
>     Moscow simply because you might disagree with the end result. In my book,
>     doing so is akin to stopping a funeral procession on its way to the
>     cemetery because you disagree with burial as a way to care for our dead.
> 
>     At their May 16 meeting, the City Council discussed the megaload issue
>     after a very informative and thoughtful presentation by City Supervisor
>     Gary Reidner. At the end of the presentation, Councilman Walter Steed made
>     the motion to accept the report and, at the same time, invite ExxonMobil
>     to use our hotels, buy fuel and food and make Moscow their resting point
>     once the loads reach the Latah-Benewah County line.
> 
>     Each council member made well-reasoned arguments in favor of letting the
>     loads pass through Moscow. Dan Carscallen pointed out we already have
>     200-foot loads move through Moscow in the middle of the night when several
>     chip trucks get traveling in a convoy, and Sue Scott said there is plenty
>     of noise created downtown by the closing bells at Mingles and the Corner
>     Club.
> 
>     Steed's motion ultimately passed despite the strong objections of Mayor
>     Nancy Chaney. Since then our councilors have taken some pretty heavy and
>     unfair criticism of their actions.
> 
>     But before anyone starts making accusations or generalizations about the
>     irresponsibility of our current City Council, I would remind everyone that
>     the most irresponsible behavior ever shown by an elected official in
>     Moscow was by none other than Mayor Nancy Chaney regarding the sale of
>     water to the Hawkins development.
> 
>     In a memo dated Nov. 19, 2007, to the City Council and city administration
>     (after numerous appeals to prevent water right transfers to Hawkins)
>     Chaney advocated selling water to Hawkins "at a price, with conditions."
>     She also attended the confidential mediation with the Hawkins Companies in
>     Spokane and presented the mediation agreement to the council.
> 
>     It was only after the council voted to approve the agreement, at Chaney's
>     express request no less, that she then took a strong about face and
>     condemned the sale of water to Hawkins. If you want to talk about
>     irresponsibility by an elected official, that one takes the cake.
> 
>     The megaload issue is truly one of facts.
> 
>     Fact - state highways, over which Moscow has very little jurisdiction, go
>     through our town.
> 
>     Fact - state-federal roadways are designed to further transportation and
>     interstate commerce.
> 
>     Fact - Moscow's police chief, fire chief and city streets supervisor all
>     said there would be no adverse impact to public safety, fire/medical
>     response time or even to the infrastructure of the roadways that the loads
>     will be traveling.
> 
>     Megaloads are and should be an issue of facts and not emotions.
> 
>     The Moscow City Council deserves megakudos (with all puns intended) for
>     making an educated decision based on the facts of this issue.
> 
>     ------------------------------
> 
>     Later, Moscow.
> 
>     Tom Hansen
>     Airway Heights, Washington
> 
>     "The Pessimist complains about the wind, the Optimist expects it to change
>     and the Realist adjusts his sails."
> 
>     - Author Unknown
> 
> 
> 
> 
>