[Vision2020] Moscow's Muscular Megalod Embrace

[Paul Rumelhart]

I think there is another way to look at this.  It shouldn't be framed as a pro- or anti-capitalist issue.  We don't, for example, bar big oil's trucks carrying gasoline from using our streets.  In fact, as long as the driver is legal and no laws are being violated, we don't stop *anyone* from using our streets.  They are public streets after all.  Now, obviously, loads of this size should be an exception.  They should be an exception, I should say, because the are so large, not because of who owns them or to what purpose they are putting them towards.  Perhaps the ITD is too quick to issue permits, and perhaps that is a problem.  But that's a permit problem, and would apply to large solar panels or wind turbine pieces.  Or large containers of fairy dust, for that matter.

I see too many people that see this as an opportunity to stick it to big oil, since they have the opportunity to do so at this moment in time.  I think that's an abuse of power, myself.  I'm all for making sure that they are jumping through the right hoops in terms of making sure that traffic is handled OK, emergency services have a route past them, they compensate the city for any tree-trimming or whatnot has to be done and so forth, but I think that trying to deny them passage because they are big oil is not right.

Just because I know it will come up, I'm no fan of big oil.   I just don't think this issue should be used in that way.

Paul



________________________________
From: Ted Moffett <starbliss at gmail.com>
To: Ron Force <rforce2003 at yahoo.com>
Cc: "vision2020 at moscow.com" <vision2020 at moscow.com>
Sent: Wednesday, May 25, 2011 10:33 AM
Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Moscow's Muscular Megalod Embrace

There is a significant number in the Moscow area who are ideologically
pro-business/pro-corporate thus friendly to big oil's needs, those who
might have supported Palin's "drill baby drill" mantra in the 2008
presidential race, who view obstacles to the tar sands development as
an impediment to lowering high gas and diesel prices and improving the
US economy in general, who think the opposition to the mega-loads is
really more about a progressive antipathy to big captialist economic
power and supporting an environmental agenda, rather than damage to or
blocking streets or highways, who therefore are "friends" of the city
council members who rolled out the welcome mat for the mega-loads.

This point of view was in part expressed by Moscow councilperson
Carscallen May 17, 2011, Moscow-Pullman Daily News:
http://finance.comcast.net/stocks/news_body.html?ID_OSI=85595&ID_NEWS=190774448

"I wonder if there would be as much discussion about these loads if
they were 24-foot-wide, 210-feet-long, and 30-foot-high solar panels
or wind turbine blades," Carscallen said. "I have seen people that are
honest that the Kearl Oil Sands are the reason they're against it."
------------------------
I think it possible the local political "enemies" of this action by
the council might not be greater in number than the "friends" of this
action, though the enemies might be more publicly vocal in oppostion;
therefore I question that the council's action is "a matter that earns
politicians enemies but few friends" as the Trillhaase editorial
quoted below states.
------------------------------------------
Vision2020 Post: Ted Moffett

On 5/25/11, Ron Force <rforce2003 at yahoo.com> wrote:

> Moscow's megaload embrace gets muscular
>     * May 25th, 2011By Marty Trillhaase of the Tribune

> > Which makes their eagerness to embrace a matter that earns
> politicians enemies but few friends curious. The last thing you'd expect
> from either Krauss and Carscallen is precisely the vote they cast.
> Go figure. - M.T.

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