Tuesday, May 04, 2004
Newspaper skewed sewer debate, activists would skew Blacksburg
New River Forum
OK, it's my turn. Thank you, Roanoke Times. In his April 25 column in the Current, Gerry Davies emphasized that the Toms Creek sewer has been overly discussed ("All sewer, all the time"). He's right. (Can you believe I said that?) However, the Toms Creek Basin sewer - along with the trash contract, Brown Farm and Kent Square - was compromised by a lack of even-handed reporting over many months.
Pierre Thomas, Virginia Tech's commencement speaker on May 14, covered Blacksburg Town Council for The Roanoke Times in the late 1980s and went on to have an illustrious career with The Washington Post, CNN and now ABC. A direct quote from Thomas, taken from the Virginia Tech Magazine, Winter 2004, says a lot: "Having multiple layers of sourcing is important in terms of making sure you have the proper context. You want to talk to people at various levels to get the most complete picture of a situation."
A broad range of knowledge is needed to understand contemporary local government. In the case of Blacksburg issues, intelligent commentary requires more than a little information about state and local codes, operating procedures and the stability and sustainability of the community at large with reference to its place in the present (i.e., the year 2004) and many, many years into the future.
The Toms Creek gravity sewer decision, based on sound engineering principles, was simply an attempt to supply a permanent solution to an untenable situation; i.e., the current lack of a uniform, efficient and easily managed sewer system for all of Blacksburg, which of course includes the Toms Creek Basin. The comments in the April 25 New River Current by local professional engineers with impeccable credentials should conclude the search for justification of the chosen solution. The North Main bypass option is a technological misadventure which should be left on the shelf. In any other time and city, news of the impending bond sale and sewer construction would have been a small story on page four of the local paper.
The Roanoke Times should assume at least some responsibility for fanning the flames that transformed non-issues into vehicles of intense emotionalism. This state of affairs provided more than a little fodder to a small group of extreme activists who clearly are trying to assume control of the town government by campaigning as champions of the environment and democracy.
Ah yes, democracy. There are many definitions of "democracy." One that is appropriate to the local scene is, "a state of society characterized by formal equality of rights and privileges." In other words, rights and privileges are defined in some manner and inherently accompanied by mutually agreeable limits. Those seeking unlimited individual freedom could be disappointed. In order for democracy to really work, the motto "It's all about me" must be replaced with "It's all about everybody."
It would appear that these activists wish to transform Blacksburg to fit their singular vision of a town somewhat frozen in time. This is, of course, not in the cards because evolution will naturally occur. Tech will grow. Research centers, the medical school, commerce, housing, transportation, the downtown, the airport, the population, etc., will grow . . . slowly. For all these entities, the local government is obligated to provide access to the best and most efficient municipal infrastructure that is affordable.
If council candidates who now are sympathetic with the activists' points of view prevail in the May 4 election, what will be their plight? Will they be expected to continue in this role? Certainly they will deny that they are. The old tale of "Br'er Rabbit and the Tar Baby" is instructive in this instance. (It is easily found on the Internet.) Once you've grabbed a tar baby, how do you let go? Can we expect more combative, ill-informed rhetoric from the activists each time a progressive town or private sector initiative is introduced in the future?
The sizeable majority of moderate, well-intentioned Blacksburg residents who ostensibly have no axes to grind can readily use some additional time to think long and hard about Blacksburg's future. In Tuesday's election, they can forestall a wrenching instability in local government by focusing on candidates who will continue the same moderate policies and appropriate sustainable progress that have made Blacksburg a really marvelous town with a commendable state and national reputation. Those candidates are J.B. Jones Jr., Frances Parsons and Toby Rock.
Hedgepeth is mayor of Blacksburg.
