Tuesday, June 06, 2006
Not in my backyard
If you have spent any time up in Stokes or Forsyth counties of North Carolina recently, you might have driven by a sign posted in many frontyards that tells the reader to:
Say No to the Dump: www.Nodump.org
So, I followed the instructions and visited the website. I was pleased to see that people opposed the coercion coming from the Capital (General Assembly) forcing the area to acquire a dump. As always, I support the local movement against coercion, but it seems like many of their alleged "supporters" only appear to divert the coercion to a different area.
Groups like the Sierra Club would rather not have the dump, but instead support more expensive recycling facilities, rather than the normal waste management facility proposed by the Utilities Commission.
Yeah, I guess people need to have dumps, but does that necessitate the forced removal of people from where they currently live, or force people to have to 'accept' living near the dump. It is one of those decisions that usually hits the poorest the hardest, and although the common sentiment is "not in my back yard", there are many groups that would gladly take our garbage, so why waste resources and increase coercion? What real purpose does it serve, other than to increase the autonomy of local governing units, rather than improve the efficiency of them.
Here's a little background info:
The Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Utilities Commission has requested re-zoning of 435 acres nestled between Hwy 311, Fagg Road and Salem Chapel Road on the border of Forsyth and Stokes County. This property would be used for a Construction and Demolition (C&D) landfill. If approved, Forsyth County will proceed with the dump independent of the Stokes County decision.
For more on the policy implications, check out the JLF's own Michael Senara.
Check out the protest and join in.
Say No to the Dump: www.Nodump.org
So, I followed the instructions and visited the website. I was pleased to see that people opposed the coercion coming from the Capital (General Assembly) forcing the area to acquire a dump. As always, I support the local movement against coercion, but it seems like many of their alleged "supporters" only appear to divert the coercion to a different area.
Groups like the Sierra Club would rather not have the dump, but instead support more expensive recycling facilities, rather than the normal waste management facility proposed by the Utilities Commission.
Yeah, I guess people need to have dumps, but does that necessitate the forced removal of people from where they currently live, or force people to have to 'accept' living near the dump. It is one of those decisions that usually hits the poorest the hardest, and although the common sentiment is "not in my back yard", there are many groups that would gladly take our garbage, so why waste resources and increase coercion? What real purpose does it serve, other than to increase the autonomy of local governing units, rather than improve the efficiency of them.
Here's a little background info:
The Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Utilities Commission has requested re-zoning of 435 acres nestled between Hwy 311, Fagg Road and Salem Chapel Road on the border of Forsyth and Stokes County. This property would be used for a Construction and Demolition (C&D) landfill. If approved, Forsyth County will proceed with the dump independent of the Stokes County decision.
For more on the policy implications, check out the JLF's own Michael Senara.
Check out the protest and join in.
