Over the course of many local Facebook discussions I have become familiar with a denizen of Ione named Scott Williams. He writes well and seems intelligent. But all his statements and responses have a cookie cutter quality. After a while they become banal; it’s as if I could write his dialogue in less time than it takes to read it. Then, a possible explanation occurred to me: He has read too many 1890’s muckraking novels and has applied them carte blanche, as a template, upon Amador County.
He comments resonant to that prior reality with often very little attachment to the present day. He has stated that our county supervisors lack accountability. Has he seen them interact with constituents’ during the open comment period at board meetings? Has he emailed or called any of them? His insults towards two of our supervisors were so unwarranted that a scripted agenda seems the only answer. He asserted that the supervisorial districts were gerrymandered without any factual basis. He questions the validity of ag zoning around Ione related to Newman Ridge while ignoring the obvious that the General Plan is general. Ag zoning around a town is a holding zoning. To rezone for industry or dense residential would unfairly raise the value of one parcel over another. The taxing consequences would be akin to an inverse condemnation. Over-zoning has been a frequent and sometimes accurate criticism of the environmentalists.
He feels that predatory power companies are the reasons behind resistance to solar. While that is true, he neglects the rest of the equation which includes big labor opposing rooftop solar in favor of mega projects with Davis-Beacon style wages and sometimes environmental damage. But if you question his answers, he will usually attack rather than discuss. Pushing his beliefs far outweigh finding a solution. He claims that Amador County is secretly ruled by an old boy’s network. Probably it appears that way to his perception. When I moved here as a total stranger, I was warmly welcomed by the old timers. Probably that was because I liked it the way it was when I moved here and didn’t enter in an attack mode telling others how to live or govern themselves.
Copyright 2016, Mark L. Bennett
Secretly you say, Mark? The good ol' boys network is hardly a secret. That you were "warmly welcomed" by them says a lot about you. And for you to criticize anyone for "pushing his beliefs" is truly risible.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a smart guy whose catching on, though the "old boy's network" is hardly any secret. For Mark to be accusing him of "pushing his beliefs" to excess or having "little attachment to the present day" is risible at the very least.
ReplyDeleteBeliefs and gross misperceptions based upon a narrow ideological lens are entirely different qualities. Either you have missed my point or are just not interested and prefer to attack instead.
ReplyDelete