In today's Herald Keri Shaw write's:
The anger was palpable in the community hall here Thursday night as residents argued against the possibility of a commercial freeway through the Whatcom County foothills to the Oregon border.
The anger was not just palpable, it was steely, focused, probing, and determined. People wanted answers to the questions the Herald won't ask: Who pushed for this study? Why did they push for this study? What will the real impacts be for our communities and our region?
And when Ms. Shaw mentions the four dozen residents later on in her piece I think she's low-balling the turnout big-time. I would say as a very conservative estimate at least 100 people stopped by the Van Zandt Hall during the meeting. Nor does the article do any justice to the fact that there w'ere at least 3 and probably four generations of riled-up citizenry in attendance. Hopefully the two elected officials present Rep. Doug Ericksen and Sen. Harriet Spanel will recognize the fact that one's political star is probably on the wane when kindly looking 80+ year old grandmothers grumble snidely at you while you speak.
Well at least Doug and Harriet showed up and sat through the meeting. Or I should say Doug smirked his way through it. Though the way he was packing away the bottled water made me think he was a little rattled. Selling out your constituents to the trucking industry is doubtless thirsty work. In the evenings most revealing display of political courage and respect for the citizenry Rep. Rick Larsen's representative ducked out for most of the meeting leaving a tiny stack of business cards on the table, which listened attentively to the rest of the proceedings.
Wilbur Smith's Thom Jones, the star of last week's informational meeting in Sedro Woolley is also lucky he sat this one out. He would have had his head handed to him if he'd gone in there and tried out his laugh-lines about the Jamaican figure skating team. Mr. Arno Hart, Wilbur Smith's contribution to the evening was by contrast the perfect foil, a soft-spoken, carefully groomed technocrat, with responses nearly as perfectly rounded as his orb-like head. "I'm not here to defend Wilbur Smith," he would begin softly, and proceed promptly to quietly assault some presumed slight to their honor.
I will have more thoughts on the proceedings when I sort through my notes. In the meantime my hearty congratulations to everyone who turned out to show that far from taking this commerce corridor scheme lying down there are many, many people here who are going to contest this thing every inch of the way.
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