Letter to The Pocahontas Times from John Leyzorek

I applaud Dave Sharp and Fairley Workman, among many, many others, for their persistence in fighting the wasteful, unnecessary, piratical Slaty Fork Sewer Project; and the Times for printing their letters.

I disagree with them in only one respect: they allow that the plant should be built somewhere in the valley more geologically and culturally/historically suitable, and without the use of eminent domain, as we're supposed to call it.

They are bending over backward to be "reasonable," trying to offer a compromise.

But history teaches that it is useless to try to be reasonable, or to compromise with people who are unreasonable.

These commissioners have repeatedly said that this proposed new plant is not for Snowshoe, but for the whole community. This statement made no sense, but commissioners were consistent—for awhile.

Three weeks or so ago, I called in to the "Commissioners Corner" radio show on WVMR Saturday morning.

I asked, "Will Reta and James follow Joel into the political dustbin on the sewer plant issue, or will they do the right thing and make Snowshoe solve its own problem on its own land with its own money?"

Joel answered first, saying that Snowshoe is very important to the county, is our biggest employer and the biggest part of our tax base.

Reta's answer was essentially the same.

James either misunderstood or chose to evade the question, saying that he had his own mind and did not follow anybody.

A tape recording of this exchange exists, in case anyone doubts my account.

They have finally admitted, as Calvin Hill did, what I suspected.

Do they fear that Snowshoe will go out of business if they must spend a measly million or two to build its own sewer plant? That Snowshoe will dig up Cheat Mountain and haul it away and take all that tax revenue and all those well-paid jobs elsewhere?

Or have our commissioners somehow been, shall we say, persuaded, that our tax money and our land must be handed over to enhance Snowshoe's growth and profitability?

Snowshoe should solve its own sewer problem on its own land with its own money, as any of us would have to do, and as it proposed to do in 2002, and should get no more free passes from the DEP.

I ask the three commission candidates to state their positions clearly on this issue.

John Leyzorek
Indian Draft