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FROM OUR READERS
PERILOUS PIPELINES
The answer to the pipeline story header
written by John Huie: "’Are Gas Pipelines
Potential Hazards in Athens-Clarke?" [City
Pages, Oct 6] is, unequivocally: yes! Colonial
and Plantation pipelines are both old, decay
ing and leaking. For the poor souls who live
near one or both and in some cases on these
pipelines, as in the Whitehead Road area of
Athens, their exposure to benzine is prob
ably off the chart from the many leaks. Can
you say collateral damage? Colonial Pipeline,
the world's biggest oil carrier with the worst
environmental record, is in such bad shape
the whole pipeline was declared a "hazard
ous facility" in 1997
by the National
Transportation Safety
Board—the entire
pipeline. Colonial's
nightmarish environ
mental record is only
matched by its total
disdain for all the
people it has made
sick and screwed.
"Its trail of
tears" journey of breaking laws and screwing
people seems destined to never end. The U.S.
Government had to finally step in and sue
them in 2000-01 to stop the pillaging.
Why do they do it Wally? Well, the oil
lobbies write the environmental Laws which
are few to none, Beaver. When common folks
have problems, our local, state and, especially,
regional politicians won't help because they
are bootlicks to the oil companies and oil
lobbies and must keep receiving their special-
interest PAC monies to run for re-election. The
local fire chiefs concerns are very real and
well founded. God help our fire crews if the
tank farm does catch fire from a spark/ light
ing/ God, whatever. Having to depend on the
pipeline companies for advice and oversight
makes about as much sense as an ashtray on
a motorcycle. See Bp's advice and oversight
plans for their Gulf of Mexico and recent
Alaskan spills. Oh yeah, Colonial Pipeline
until 2003 was part-owned by BP. Any more
questions on quality control? Thanks for rais
ing this very serious issue that no one thinks
about until their property is contaminated or
they become side. The bad news is that will be
just the beginning of much more bad news.
Richard A. Bennett
^Athens
TRIBUTE TO DAVID LYNN
to see exercised by anyone serving on the
commission. Bowtie or necktie, his presence
behind the rail is one that this commish-o-
phile will miss. Hopefully, you can get another
column out of him before the year is done.
Ben Emanuel
Athens
CALM DOWN!
Pete!!!!! Calm down! [Pub Notes, Sept. 8]
Have a cold one or two or three. The truth is
we are all in the balcony looking at the fools
and bigots in D.C. ruin the country. And guess
what, Pete? It is the black folk, the white
folk, the red folk and the yellow folk suffer
ing. Instead of To
Kill a Mockingbird, it
is To Kill a Country.
The Democrats and
the Republicans are
all doing a first-class
job of it, too. Instead
of getting this upset
about a movie, you
might want to put
some quality time
into worrying about
what do we do when the food lines start? And
by the way, don't count on the ever-failing
empire in D.C. to give a damn about us, okay?
Clarke Williams
WatkinsviUe
YOU ARE NOT MISSED
"Miss Me Yet?"
No, I don't. Absolutely fucking not. I never
will.
Saw that bumper sticker again on an SUV
careening down Broad Street spare tire on the
front rim and the windows down in 90 degree
heat. Another reptile voting against their
best interests, harboring the unrealistic belief
they, too, will be rich and able to squash the
little folks. How about first coming to grips
with the reality the Earth is round and that
your daddy in heaven can't help you win a $2
scratch-off lotto ticket bought with the money
you should have fixed your tire with. Every
time I see a picture of the smiting chimp wav
ing back at me with the caption of "Miss me .
yet?" my mind retreats to the visual image
of caskets draped with American flags: dead
fathers,' mothers, son and daughters killed
and maimed because of a lie. ,
Miss me yet you ask? What I miss is the
nation I knew before this down bankrupted
us and he and his cabal escaped justice
and into the night tike a pack of smiting
ATHENS NEWS AND VIEWS
Time's Relentless Oppression: If you've turned
here looking for some Dopey divination of the
outcomes of Tuesday's elections to go along
with Pete's pensive prognostications (Pub
Notes-tications?), you'll be disappointed—but
then, you're used to that Tell you what: if
you've picked this up early Tuesday evening,
haul it over to the Normal Bar (or, if you're
not feeling social, the Beyond the Trestle link
at Flagpole.com), where BTT and yours truly
are whiling away Election Night, and all will
be revealed to us together.
A "Shocking" Revelation: Speaking of elec
tions, NPR reported a story last week (avail
able at www.npr.org/templates/story/stoiy.
php?storyld-130833741) that should be of
note in a state where anti-immigrant fervor
has been wielded like a club by right-wing
candidates to solidify their all-but-assured
victories. Seems Senate Bill 1070—the
draconian, probably uncon
stitutional Arizona Immigra
tion law that Republicans in
Georgia and other states may
now be poised and embold
ened to emulate—was drafted
last December at a meeting
of an exclusive, 'free-market
oriented, limited-government"
organization of state legisla
tors, corporations and interest
groups called the American
Legislative Exchange Council.
One of the group's members,
whose representatives were
among "50 or so' present at
the December meeting, is the
Corrections Corporation of
America, the biggest private
prison company in the U.S. So
the biggest player in an industry that stands
to profit enormously from a (aw that ensures
the locking up of thousands of people gets
to kelp write that law, in a secret meeting.
Gotta love that grass-roots. Tea Party activ
ism—can't wait to get some more of it here.
Deck on Deck: if you were downtown late last
week, you probably noticed the fences around
the half-Mock surrounding the Georgia Theatre
and the workers within them
>. That's
because Batson-Cook, the Attanta developer
that's partnering with Athens-Clarke County
on a new mixed-use parking deck that will
also include retail and office space, has finally
completed its financing agreement and work
on the deck has begun. Now that that's set
tled, let's start talking about what businesses
to bring in there: the Dope, for one, is sick of
driving out to the mall every time he needs to
hit Spencer's for beer pong essentials.
Attention, Scofftaws: If you've been waiting
for just the right mood to strike you before
clearing up that outstanding contempt war
rant perhaps this will provide some inspira
tion: the ACC Municipal Court has declared
November "Amnesty Month," and will accept
payment for overdue tickets for the amount
of the citation Itself, waiving any late foes
and warrant foes. Just drop by the first floor
of the courthouse at 325 E. Washington
Did a final Friday happy hour campaign smbj through the dowrrtwrrn
bars help push Gwen O’Loorwy over the top and hrtoa mayoral runoff?
Let’s just call this another instance of you knowing more than the Dope.
St any Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday in
November with cash, Visa or MasterCard, a
certified check or money order (no personal
checks will be accepted), or you can contact
the office of Judge Leslie Spomberger Jones
if you have any questions. The amnesty is an
attempt to collect unpaid fines and dear the
docket of old cases for offenses tike traffic vio
lations, possession of Im than an ounce of
pet OUT and shoplifting. Now's your chance!