Portsmouth wastewater coverage

By John McDaid | Wednesday, 27 January 2010

Didn't make the Portsmouth Town Council meeting Monday night where the wastewater report was on the agenda, but the Sakonnet Times has good coverage (worth reading the comments, too) and the meeting even got a writeup in the Rhode Island Statewide Coalition (RISC) newsletter.

Tags: 
Localblogging, 02871, Town Council, Wastewater

Comments

Viking

Thu, 01/28/2010 - 11:54am

John, This week's Council vote regarding waste water management appears to move the issue away from DEM’s goal post, but not by much. You could say it just kicks the issue down the field a couple of yards. The motion approved was reportedly carefully formulated (with the assistance of the Town’s Attorney) to commit the town to as little as possible, while (hopefully) avoiding potential litigation against the town by the DEM/State of RI.

Frankly, I support this decision. Politically, there really isn’t any other decision the council could have made. Practically speaking, the ball will now be in the DEM/State of RI’s court. They have threatened for years to do “something” if we don’t do “something.” The time may come soon when they may have to “put up” or “shut up.”

Unless the council got bad legal advise and we end up being sued.

As far as the comments on the Saconnet Times web site: – I really have no appetite for the debased tenor of debate that is currently seems to be endemic to all anonymous web comments. Like with e-mail, (only worse) it seems impossible to discuss anything without being misunderstood, hurting someone’s feelings, or offending someone’s sensibilities. This is the reason I so rarely participate.

Wernerlll

Thu, 01/28/2010 - 4:55pm

Ah Viking,
I know how you feel, but then that is the nature of the beast. As a society we seem to have become very polarized and the inherent debate so crucial to a functioning society appears to have given way to the "my way or the highway" mentality trickled down from our leadership role models at the highest offices in our Republic.
It was almost comical to watch folks on the left side of the aisle at last night’s SOTU sit on their hands, waiting for the rare signal to applaud. But let us look at the same leadership over the last 10 years with a bureaucracy waiting for orders. Stepping outside of your sand box is risky if you want to remain employed and so despite warnings of impending disasters (911, Katrina, recession, bank failures, etc.) the attitude is not to cross the bridge until you have to. Therefore, it should work for us. Until the unfunded mandate is prescribed by the DEM forcing our town to clean up our backyards and wastewater, we have plenty of time to look at our options and perhaps build up the "rainy day" fund even further in anticipation of known unknowns.
Look at how the courts are as yet not ready to take environmental threats seriously. One example is the real threat to Kivalina, Alaska ("Courts Emerging as Battlefield for Fights Over Global Climate Change" NYT, 27 Jan) where shore erosion due to lack of annual ice formation is compromising the population's safety, but the initial law suit for relocation was dismissed, so far.

While I am all for a cost benefit study, it is a critical decision as to who will conduct the analyses of pros and cons. (Just give me the answer you want, and I can develop the assumptions and data sources to support the desired outcome; and I am not being cynical). In these difficult economic times, let us resolve to sit on our hands when it comes to cleaning up our ocean, unless we want to set an example for the rest of the country. We can take our lumps later while we solve more immediate problems of potentially greater consequences.

Cheers,
Wernerlll

Viking

Sun, 01/31/2010 - 11:07pm

Thanks, WernerIII - Its nice to know that someone understands how I feel. I understand why so many people feel fed up. But when people say things like "Government is the problem" or "all politicians are crooks" all I can think to say is "So what are you proposing - anarchy?" I understand though, that for most people complaining about Government is enough - it isn't their "job" to come up with suggestions or solutions. But I'm fed up with that attitude as well. If someone wants to seriously debate the merits of a particular plan (as opposed, for example, to speculating and debating the motivations of the persons/group that made the plan) - fine. I would enjoy that. Otherwise, I guess, we have nothing to talk about.
Cheers!

Wernerlll

Sat, 01/30/2010 - 8:51pm

Right on Viking - I am for a strong government and not just militarily. I was a civil servant when Reagan announced that the government was the problem and it went downhill from there. The public demonized us servants, especially after President Reagan fired 10K air traffic controllers. Much talent was lost when thousands retired in 1986 so as not to be penalized for also having earned some social security income during their lifetime. But I digress.

Business will always expect to grow and can now almost buy their politicians with unlimited advertisement funds as a result of the latest Supreme Court ruling treating corporations like individuals. I hear that we MUST grow because running our community services is becoming costlier every year and therefore revenue can only be raised by stimulating economic growth and bringing in businesses. Well, where does it stop? Another Manhattan Island? And, when you run out of land just keep on growing upwards?

How has the new National Golf Club worked out for us? How about all the new McMansions that have gone up in Portsmouth over the last ten years? And, there is more to come with the "Westside Master Plan"? Most likely, I will be forced to relocate out of state as Portsmouth continues unabated growth and becomes more crowded and expensive. It seems our city fathers and mothers are favoring to attract more job-seeking and low-income folks to justify meeting state mandates. Too bad, we do not have "affordable housing tax incentive" programs other than the modest veteran and senior citizens property tax relief.

Well, good thing this is only a blog site that can be taken on board or ignored. One blog a difference not make. But then we already know from all our science that man is the greatest threat to mother earth and man has no will to change its habits until catastrophe strikes.

On that cheery note,
keep hope alive,
Wernerlll