Compost Happens
October 10, 2007
What’s with the Douglas administration’s fixation of late on the business of composting? As we all know by now, the Pee Wee Herman of Vermont politics, Rob Roper, who officially goes by the title of Executive Director of the Republican Party, has been making an ass of himself by trying to fling compost on anyone and everyone he doesn’t like. Specifically, Roper has been doing a terrible job of trying to pin the regulatory problems of the Intervale’s composting business on House Speaking Gaye Symington – who fundraises for the Intervale – and Rep. David Zuckerman – who farms at the Intervale. The problem, of course, is that neither one of them have anything to do with the Intervale’s composting business.
But at the same time Roper’s getting a few of his precious hairs out of place over this, the Douglas team at the Agency of Natural Resources (ANR) is also putting the regulatory clampdown on other compost sites in the state, including Montpelier’s Vermont Compost Company. The ANR is claiming that the compost facilities are not “agricultural” in nature, but “industrial.” Hmm, ever seen the hundreds of chickens over there? Sure looks agricultural to me.
But, for now, let’s leave Roper’s kindergarten-like compost slinging and the ANR’s wacky definition of “agriculture” behind and, instead, take a gander at the bigger picture here. Sure, regulatory infractions like those the Intervale is being accused of need to be addressed. But do they require that the head of the state’s Republican Party come screaming out of his office to spread the news about the infractions? Goodness, if you didn’t know any better you would have thought Roper would have found Osama at the Intervale.
Let’s get back to that bigger picture. Given the amount of attention Roper and the Douglas team are giving to the Intervale infractions and the role composting plays in the definition of “agriculture,” you would have to assume that these are what they consider to be the most pressing issues facing Vermont’s agricultural community. Worse, they also seem to think that these are the agricultural issues that Vermonters in general are most concerned about.
Sorry, but that’s just absurd. Think about it, they’d rather put the spotlight on some compost run-off at the site where some of their political enemies are employed than on the tens of thousands of pounds of toxic chemicals – especially the carcinogen Atrazine — used on Vermont’s industrial farms. You know, like the farm owned by Douglas’ in-laws in Middlebury, the Foster Farm. And they’d rather wring their hands about the definition of composting than crack down on the continued use of artificial hormones like rBGH in the state’s milk supply.
Silly boys, don’t they know that we weren’t all born yesterday.
While the Intervale will be addressing its infractions and composters like the Vermont Compost Company will be waging their regulatory battles with the state, I’m betting that Roper and Douglas will be stepping back from their Rove-like involvement. They clearly got stung in the media for being such fools.
The problem for the rest of us is that you know Roper is getting his hair back in place and meeting with the Douglas re-election team to try and figure out who to attack next. Hmm, maybe they could attack the state’s farmers’ markets over the overcrowding issue? Yeah, that’s it. Go for it, Rob….
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Just a comment on style, not substance. You are sounding too much like Freyne, and can do better than that.
One example: over-using nicknames. In this case, Pee-Wee and Romper Room. At least pick one name for somebody, but better yet, drop this cute little trick that Freyne has been using over and over for 20 years.
Second example: “you would have thought Pee Wee – er, Rob – would have …” Here is a twist on the Freyne habit, calling someone one name and then throwing in the other as if you forgot where you were going with the sentence. With Freyne, its a tiresome habit. Quit while you are ahead!
Say no more. Point taken. And changes dutifully made. Thanks for the feedback.
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