EDITORIAL COMMENT
by CL Heuss
Where is Wal...Mart?
Suspiciously absent from the discussion is the very team and public relations
slogan slinger of "We want to be a good neighbor". So where has their team been
during the past month?
High Springs has been in virtually every printed and online media venue
available, including a billboard in front of city hall with "WALMART PLEASE
DON'T POLLUTE OUR WATER" spelled out in bold black lettering.
As of Friday afternoon, July 28th, 2006, almost three weeks after the first
signal from High Springs was seen and heard asking for a closer look at the
agreement reached by the county and Walmart's team, there has been no
communication from WalMart to the City of High Springs. How neighborly is that?
City officials are seeking dialogue in an effort to protect the health, safety
and welfare of citizens and businesses who depend on the water and waterways
which are at the core of their concerns. The contract wording has a three letter
loophole lurking throughout it where a five letter fix could go a long way
toward calming the waters. The use of "may" in a legal document versus
the word "shall" has been the bone of contention in many a courtroom.
Citizens are very concerned about the implication of the use of terms in this
agreement. Stake-holders have a clear understanding of how word-smithing in this
instance is not in the public's best interest. The use of the word "may"
indicates that WalMart has the option to or not to take an action.
Replacing it with the word "shall" indicates a person or body is given a
mandate to do something.
The youth of High Springs are also alarmed. This weekend school children were
going door to door collecting signatures on a petition asking WalMart to please
protect their water. These young folks are very aware of the risk being thrust
upon their future. They are being proactive in asking for measures of prevention
rather than the costly prospect of correction in trying to fix polluted water.
The absence of WalMart's team, political cheerleaders and those chanting the
jobs, jobs, job mantra are casting doubt on the good neighbor theory. Citizens
are asking Walmart and the Suwannee River Water Management District to just do
the right thing.
High Springs voters, youth and officials are to be commended for their
willingness to step up and ask for a dialogue on this issue. How about it
WalMart and Suwannee River Water Management District, are you willing to just do
the right thing?
NOTE: The link below will take you to the agreement between WalMart and the
County. The 2nd link will take you to a letter to High Springs Mayor Williams
from SRWMD informing him that High Springs did not file within the time frame
for an administrative hearing. The 21 day window for filing was believed to be
open since an extension period had been granted to Alachua County. High Springs
officials have stated it was their desire to have as much information as
possible available with the county taking the first position of standing and
proceed accordingly.
County of
Alachua/WalMart Agreement
Letter from Tom W. Brown "For
the Firm" Brannon, Brown, Haley & Bullock, PA to Mayor Bryan Williams
Where is Pope?
Signs throughout the 11th district are on display for State House candidate
David Pope. Pope has been at the center of controversy on his home turf of
Alachua for years with voters. One source of that controversy started at
Alachua's city hall when the appearance of a conflict of interest arose. Pope
serving as project manager for WACO (the massive warehouse development on county
road 235a) and as chairman of the Suwannee River Water Management District, he
spoke on behalf of each entity. In light of taking a stance on a politically
charged issue in the past, the question begs to be asked "where is Pope now?"
Certainly his council in political stumping see the opportunity for a win-win
situation regarding the voters in High Springs as well as with city officials.
Why has he not seized the opportunity to fulfill his commitment to protect this
specific water body and caves at the WalMart Super Center site in his hometown
of Alachua and the concerned stake-holders in High Springs? He was not shy in
past persuasions for Dollar General, WACO and SRWMD. Is he getting bad advice?
Will the public equate his silence as a failure to protect the springs? Where is
Pope and why has he remained mute on this issue?
Where is Rod Smith?
Over the past four years Rod Smith has been steadily positioning himself and a
select group of associates to move into a larger political arena. Smith was a
key player in bringing the Dollar General company to Alachua and has spoken in
support of the development of Alachua as a mega warehouse district. At the
initial community meeting when citizens expressed concerns about the ability of
existing roadways to handle the thousands of truck trips being added by the
location of a WalMart distribution center along the I-75 and 235a roadways,
Smith suggested an interchange to help with that traffic and pledged his support
to locate funding for the additional interchange. Smith has been a proponent of
development along the 235a corridor despite the controversy of personal gain at
taxpayer expense. With fellow politicians in neighboring High Springs extending
an invitation for dialogue Smith has remained silent and non communicative on
the issue of stepping up to protect the water beneath the 235a, I75 and the 441
corridor. The failure of Smith to take the same degree of interest in what
happens underground as he has taken in the above ground activities sends a
powerful message to a substantial body of voters and fellow elected officials.
Voters are becoming more and more aware of the connection of this highly unique
karst area and the role it plays in the waterways of North Central Florida. When
will ambitions of yet another home grown politician realize that a resource
literally under his feet could be the stepping stone to a higher office?
Too emotional to think clearly?
Recent quotes attributed to Alachua's Mayor indicated that "people were
letting their emotional attachment to springs cloud their feelings about it."
Has Alachua's elected officials had a taste of political power that has them
thirsty for more at the expense of one of life's necessities?
Just how emotional is too emotional when it comes to the most prominent natural
resource in the state? How many other areas have the ecological uniqueness of
this geographic location? Let's put emotions aside and examine this from a
technical data standpoint. Recent scientific methods of tracing the connectivity
of the springs and caves in and around Alachua and High Springs bring a very
clear understanding of what is at stake here. It is incomprehensible that a
Mayor, someone who actually worked for the Suwannee River Water Management
District, an agency charged with protecting the water, would attempt to portray
the issue as an emotional one. If this issue is perceived by the Mayor to be one
of emotion then it is a shame for citizens who expect elected officials to carry
out the oath they took to protect their health, safety and welfare to show so
little understanding. It would be far more politically wise to seize the
opportunity to raise the level of standards and work to put safeguards in place
to prevent potential clouding of water rather than claim citizens are "too
emotional" when concerns are raised about water quality and connectivity.
The abundance of data now available, starting with the very site plan of the
WalMart Super Center overlay, showing the unique underground landscape, caves
and caverns as mapped and documented is void of emotion and filled with data.
This data reflects the importance of the unique geology. According to experts in
this underground eco-system the same logic that shares the basis of every action
has a corresponding reaction holds true and has been shown by recent dye
studies, cave mappings by the National Speleological Society, renowned
underwater photographers and expert cave-divers. To ignore the facts and attempt
to relegate the public's right to protect a natural resource appears to be far
more indicative of cloudy logic or a complete failure of comprehension. |
