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Show THE ZEPHYR DECEMBER 1991 PAGE 14 wilderness movement could practically bo accuaed of genocide for trying to exterminate the people of aouthem Utah by caring more for endangered apedea than for people. Hard to answer such charges, when an old pro like Jimmy never lets you get a word In edgewise. And Just before that, I had tried to explain to Commissioner Torres why the decision prohibiting motorcycles on the Transmountain Trail In the La Sals was a reasonable one 2that was Intended to prevent conflict between different user groups In the future. Not one to be easily tricked by an environmentalist, Manuel was Immediately able to see through my philosophical bull, and stated with devastlng simplicity "that's Communism." Not knowing how else to respond, I asked him what he meant, and was told that "planning ahead when there's not yet a problem, thats Communism." Well, I still can't think of an answer to thaL Score 1 for Manuel, 1 for Jimmy, and 0 for Jack. With Commissioners this sharp, there's no way that the Grand County taxpayers have to worry about some slick oil and gas company talking our county commission into buying foolish the Key Hone Disposal Pits down In San Juan County (and the something potential liability that goes along with them). beyond reality by Jack Campbell u n Interesting Times Ruffled Feathers the October Issue of the Zephyr, I took the liberty of renaming Bette Stanton's and economic development committee, the Citizens Against die Environment Council. In the spirit of fairness and fun, If I can presume to rename her committee, shouldn't she have an equal crack at me? Since Bette described my comments about growth and economic development as "beyond reality" In her rebuttal last month, such Is the name of this column this month. This seems particularly pertinent because some of us in Grand County are trying to do just precisely that-- to get beyond the old reality that still exists In Grand County. Some of us would like to get beyond the old reality where the county can always seem to find a couple of hundred thousand dollars for a new bulldozer, but cannot find any extra money for the schools. Where the county can buy an equestrian center, but has to raise taxes for schools or hospital Improvements. Some of us would like to change the current reality where our county Commissioners seem to be more Interested In leading us back Into some long gone past, than trying to lead the county Into the future. Where the county Is willing to commit millions of dollars to build a road over the Booked ffs, rather than spending that money on other more pressing community needs. Where the Grand County taxpayers will be stuck with the liability risk whan our county commissioners buy the Keystone disposal ponds to help out the poor oil and gas companies. Where the economic exploitation of the public lands In Grand County Is given the highest priority. Where the energy of our county commissioner! Is being spent to wage a new sagebrush rebellion to gain control of the public lands in Grand County, so that they can bring back some great and glorious past And maybe we'd even begin to get beyond the myths of growth and economic development that tell us that everything will be O.K. as long as we can keep growing and growing, as long as we can have more, and more, and more. In pro-grow- th New Form of Energy Discovered True Function of County Government think It was after the last County Commission meeting, In a delightfully Invigorating discussion with Jimmy Walker, where he had me by the beard (metaphorically speaking), and was trying to beat some sense Into another thick headed environmentalist, that I realized that the real function of our county government was to entertain us. How dreary our lives would be here In Grand County If we had a county commission composed of three reasonable, competent, fair Individuals, none of whom had any flamboyant Ideological axes to grind. How much more entertaining that our commissioners are willing to spend their precious spare time (and our money), to once again pick up their swords and lances and lead the troops out on another Sagebrush Rebellion, on yet another crusade to recapture the Holy Grail of county control over the state and federal lands In Grand County. Without the County Commissioners to entertain us, those of us who have nothing better In life to do than attend meetings, would have to buy TV's and sit around watching the soap operas. But Jimmy had been trying to show me how environmentalists were leading this great nation to Its destruction by trying to create wilderness In southern Utah. And how the I Hof tub it in While the University of Utah scientists plod ahead with their research Into Cold Fusion, a small band of quiet but dedicated researchers In Grand County have apparently made great strides towards perfecting what may be the energy source of the future. Instead of using exotic and expensive materials like palladium and tritium in the U of U endeavors, the Grand County researchers use only commonly available materials like waste salt water from drilling operations, sunshine, and that particular ambience of Grand and San Juan Counties as Ingredients for their new energy source. When the above raw materials are allowed to Intermingle under the proper conditions (like In the Keystone Disposal Ponds), some as yet unknown reaction takes place, yielding a aatisfylngly combustible To have achieved this using only salt water and sunshine Is Indeed exciting. Having been assured by the County Commission that the county taxpayers should not worry about any liabilities from a pond that contalna only salt water, we can only trust that the combustible materials generated In the Keystone Pits will prove to be the new source of energy that will free mankind from Its bondage to the petroleum companies. So far the researchers have been provocatively modest and have not let the press examine their secret processes. Only an Inadvertent observation of a aecret test bum last month, has given the world a clue to the research being conducted. ct. I MERRY CHRISTMAS DELIVERING FUN SINCE 1984 the BACK COUNTRY call us for details A PORTABLE 450 CAUON HOT TUB WITH JACUZZI. HOLDS B '10 PEOPLE ALL HOUR FRIENDS IF YOURE RFAL FRIENDLJ. Wf GE T TrtE TUB READY CALL WOT - YOU JUST TUB RENTALS PLAN THE TWOY 25983 MW! |