They say all politics is local. I flunked politics, so I"m just going to have to take their word for it.
I have a bent for facts and politics has an aversion it seems. Local life usually bends to facts, so maybe all politics is a subversion of local.
Too deep? Like I said, I flunked politics. So maybe I should just stick to the facts.
A couple of days ago Meat and I wandered over to the Community Center for the offical groundbreaking ceremony of the new wastewater treatment plant in Elkhorn City.
"SJ, why are they putting the new sewer plant in the city park?"
"They aren't Meat, they're just having the ceremony there. Would you want to go to the sewage plant for a ceremony?"
"Depends on what they were serving."
Meat wanted to go because he heard there'd be fresh brownies and sandwiches. But he didn't calculate the number of politicians who'd be there. There was a lot of handshaking and backslapping in the parking lot and Meat obviously wanted none of it.
You'd think a tinfoil hat wearing tea party ranger would be into that. I guess not. Once the outside ceremony was done and pictures taken, the ceremony moved inside for speeching and eating.
"Too many politicians in there for me, SJ, grab me a brownie on your way out."
Politics and politicians aside, here are a few facts. Beside our tendency to fight like kids in a sandbox, the biggest hurdle to growth in Elkhorn City has been our sewage plant. It has been maxed out for years and no mayor or council has been able to get the funds to upgrade it. There could be no hotels, no industrial parks, no new housing development because our waste facility couldn't handle any more of the stuff we flush daily.
But now, thanks to the hard work of our Mayor Mike Taylor, city Engineer David Sanders, and our city council, we will build a waste water facility that can handle nearly 4 times the current daily maximun load. We now have room for well over 350% growth in our town.
It may not be sexy, but it sure is progress. People like me talk a lot about the vision thing, but without infrastructure like this, none of the dreams can be supported.
With this facility, the quality of the river downstream of town is ensured. Many of you are drinking our bathwater. That plant is your friend.
The thing Meat doesn't get about things like this is it takes politicians to make it happen. The state senator and representative, the county judge, the U.S. congressman on down to the mayor, these are the people certain projects absolutely require. Without a politician there are no roads to Lexington or pipes to flush away last night's beans and taters.
Having flunked politics, I'm just hanging on the fact that one of the biggest obstacles to development in my town will soon be out of the way. And I'm starting to feel optimistic again about Elkhorn City's future. Planting trees one week, a new sewage plant the next. Good stuff.
Meat agreed once I delivered his brownie.