I love the smell of concrete (or plutonium) in the morning …
On a not-so-sleepy little street in Bethesda, Maryland, nestled between two private country clubs, there is a turf war going on. The adversaries do not wear different color bandanas or flash signs to one another to indicate their allegiances.
You see, this is a war over a sidewalk.
On one side of this little war are those who want a safe place for the children of the neighborhood to walk to and from school. On the other are people who think that a sidewalk is an eyesore to their little “respite from the city.”
The people in the anti-sidewalk camp have formed a civic association, hired a “prominent” real estate lawyer, and found an arborist who claims that a sidewalk would kill all mature trees.
Those who want a sidewalk passed around a petition, collected letters from PTAs and principals and spoke with the county’s arborist who says that the sidewalk won’t do any harm.
People who do not want the sidewalk had things like this to say:
“Sidewalks are very urbanizing. Here we have what remains to be a little respite from the city. Not a whole lot, but at least some.”
“We have a 30-foot sidewalk that children have used for years. It’s a beautiful green sidewalk. Thirty feet. Not four feet. It’s called grass.”
“For these eight to 10 children, 40 years worth of work and caring will be destroyed and the lives of virtually every household on Maryknoll Avenue will be disrupted.”
Fans of a sidewalk made comments like this:
“Most kids who could be walkers avoid walking so they won’t get killed.”
“The whole way there, I was a nervous wreck. My son was stunned. We just didn’t expect so much traffic.”
NIMBYism has many faces. And, in my opinion, most of them are ugly. Most of the time it is the affluent who try to impose things they don’t want in their neighborhood on poorer citizens who don’t have the influence that is unfortunately required. In the case of the sidewalk, it is the neighbors who are more concerned with their rose bushes than the safety of the children who live in their neighborhood.
However, sometimes the bully is the government. A few days ago a federal appeals court rejected the state of South Carolina’s request to stop the federal government from shipping surplus plutonium into the state. Luckily for the citizens of South Carolina — including my future in-laws — Gov. Jim Hodges (D) is fighting the good fight. Calling the shipments “a threat to the health and safety of our state,” the Governor plans to appeal the decision all the way to the Supreme Court.
Earlier this summer Gov. Hodges had this to say about the issue after ordering the state’s police force to block the shipment of 30 tons of plutonium into the state:
“As governor, when I believe danger exists to our state, I am empowered to declare an emergency and to take measures to maintain peace and safety in South Carolina.”
“I know the folks in Washington will not like this action. And we will follow any court order regarding the shipment of this plutonium. But until ordered otherwise, I will continue to exercise any and every lawful power I possess to keep this plutonium from threatening the safety of our citizens.”
In a letter urging Gov. Hodges to sign a proposed agreement, U.S. Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham had this to say:
“It is now time to bring this process to a close. Further delay in reaching agreement will undermine important international and domestic priorities of the United States.”
What about the federal government undermining the health and safety of its own citizens?
Also of Interest …
- Judge strikes down South Carolina plutonium blockade (Environmental News Network | June 19, 2002)
- US state bars plutonium shipments (BBC News | June 15, 2002)
- South Carolina, government clash over plutonium (Nando Tines | June 5, 2002)
- The South Rises Against Plutonium (TomPaine.com | June 25, 2002)
- Miles Urges Bipartisan Effort to Back Governor’s Position Against Plutonium Shipments (SC Sec. of State’s Office | April 11, 2002)
- S. Carolina told to let plutonium in (MSNBC | June 18, 2002)
- South Carolina plutonium dispute might aid Yucca foes (Las Vegas Review-Journal | April 20, 2002)
- More results from Google
First, let me say that I stumbled on your site last night doing a search for that poster boy of Darwinism Caesar Barbar, and ended up bookmarking you! Awesome site.
On the issue of NIMBYism, which I despise, I am troubled about the plutonium issue. Where can we put nuclear waste that’s safe, and how do we transport it safely? I have no answers.
On the sidewalk issue, it’s alot easier. Let the kids walk on the grass until they wear such an unsightly path of dead grass and mud that the NIMBYs scream “uncle” and beg for a well-maintained sidewalk.
I was actually thinking the same thing, Pamela. If I were these kids parents I would be instructing them to jump up and down on Mrs. Weer’s lawn, and piss on her rose bushes
Thanks for the kind words! *blush*
You’d be surprised how common it is for NIMBYs to oppose the installation of sidewalks. When I was a news reporter, I saw it several times. Folks really tend to have something against the things for some damned reason.
Well, with da bros in da hood now driving luxury cars and upstart ghetto kids making more than they in sports and entertainment, and their holdings in the market collapsing, however else will they be able to demonstrate their inherent social superiority?
My Russian immigrant grandmother owned a house in the Bronx. In her tiny back yard was a literal Garden of Eden, including fruit trees from which she made her own wine. Upon hearing that we were moving to the suburbs to 1/3 of an acre with a nice lawn, she asked my mother with incredulity,”So vat for you move vere dere is no sewers? A septic tank, vat is dis mishegos? And grass? Who needs grass?”
Apparently it’s proof positive that you’re (no longer) a mere arriveste. With apologies to Christina Crawford, “No concrete sidewalks! No concrete sidewalks!”
Sorry, I meant arriviste. Obviously I’m still one, since I can’t spell well in French.
So those people want the grass to be used as the sidewalk instead of putting in a paved path? I say wait — and see how they like the dirt track that forms from all the foot traffic. They’ll be bleating for a sidewalk then, you bet.