Had a person call me on the 28th. Said was responsible for assisting several folks in voting and did not want to tell them wrong info. Asked who was right: Mr. Azinger- water is safe or Mr. Rapp, plus all the spending that has/ is going on.
I advised her that Mr. Azinger was ABSOLUTELY wrong. The water is not safe. As for Mr. Rapp, I noted he had sided earlier with Mr. Azinger in rebuffing and somewhat ridiculing Mr. Brooks when the first comments came out on the Vienna water issue.
As for spending, I told the person that what I put in my flyer last week on a refund/ rebate/ reduction in Residential Property Taxes was a definite and everything would be reviewed and spending reduced as possible. I am not and will not move off my belief that it is YOUR money, not the City's.
The Water Board meeting of the 24th was interesting in that it seems Mr. Metz and crew are busy repairing roads damaged by water line breaks in the past few weeks. I know there have been crews at one location at least three times since November digging up a spot.
As I am not allowed to talk at meetings short of an insurrection, I usually cannot get any info on anything without a FOIA and that may or may not answer my questions directly and completely as I have learned the hard way.
The new Popeye's is coming along it seems? They are putting in a new type of water filter system (my words) to clean the water before it gets out into the Public Domain. Good idea I think and will be a plus for that area when finally working.
Seems a lot of interest now in a filtration system developing? No help in sight from DuPont (which considering the support it is getting from both Mr. Azinger and Mr. Rapp), which at the moment will put the whole cost (estimate so far $6 Million) on the Vienna Water Users.
And again, there was the "nothing from the EPA on the new (if any) ppb (parts per billion) from .04 to a newer lower number? I am a little suspicious that there is info but is not being shared either from EPA to West Virginia or from any of the Governmental Entities involved down to us the consumers?
Vienna's old friends Burgess and Nipple are putting together a cost estimate for a two option pipeline to bring all the well water into a filtration system and than to the users. That was a $17,500 deal. With all due respect to B &N, it still seems we do not or will not put these projects out for bid? The fact that there is a long and cherished history between Vienna and B&N does not reduce the need to insure that familiarity does not breed contempt?
In the real world, business models change all the time and not for the best. If you do not believe me, ask Mr. Sam Walton if you can get him to stop spinning in his grave. He for sure would be able to give a very honest answer on "Buy American" and what happened to that?
If the State has a bidding/ Purchasing Law, then the City is obligated to follow it to insure the best possible products and services come to our City. Sweetheart/ Sole Source agreements usually do not work well in the long run. There are exceptions of course, but far and few between.
The bidding for the final one or two buildings at the 60th St. Complex was a usual proposal mess. The packets were put out to (ten)10 Contractors/ Vendors. Only two (2) were returned. Mr. Rapp said he did some follow up on the issue. Turned out that the Proposal was for Buildings it seemed and not POLE buildings. There is a big difference between a four side enclosed unit and an open faced one. I would suggest that whomever is writing these up do a better job of researching what is really wanted?Plus, because of the obvious error, maybe it should have been re-bid? I am suspicious the extra interest is because the winning bid this time was $318K versus last October's $248K. City is spending an extra $70K because they got penny wise and pound foolish. But, as always, is their money so they can spend as they want. Comes out to about $7.00 extra dollars for each Resident/ Taxpayer in the City. Is anyone minding the store? Not a lot per person, but it is OUR money folks.
The rational for the "Special" meeting was that Mr. Metz and Mr. Rapp will not be available the half or so of April. This seems to indicate a very "weak bench" if there is no one to Chair/ Report to the Board as a whole?
I am sure you are all noticing the front page coverage of C8 everywhere in the U.S. now? Be it Vermont, New York, New Jersey and even now New Hampshire. If the folks at the paper would read or maybe check some info, they would all know that C8 is allegedly all over the world. Everything that is anywhere is contaminated and so on. Is it true? Wait for Mr. Dietzler and he will give another story for the paper to reprint. Is our water safe? I am going to side with Mr. Brooks and say NO, it is not. Will it kill us after drinking one glass of water- I will say not likely.
As for the EPA announcing anything meaningful for West Virginia critics; has anyone heard of a Mr. Morrissey and how he led charge to tweak Mr. Obama's and the EPAs noses with the issues on using Coal to run power plants. Vengeance is mine saith the Politician and no more so than West Virginia AND anyone who gets the jaws at West Virginia. Was Mr. Morrissey wrong? I don't think so; but for sure Mr. Obama should have pumped a few billion into researching how to clean Coal better for usage instead of destroying thousands of lives and an industry. But Green is in and People are out today.
I do believe as I said above that info is available but being kept under wrap for the moment. Too many people a whole lot smarter than I will ever be are saying the .04ppb is too high. I think the cumulative questions and how it can accumulate is more of an issue? Drinking, bathing or even body absorption from the moisture in the air are all the real dangers day by day. More on those, not just drinking?
Really do believe that the clock is ticking on how long DuPont/ Chemours/ Dow Chemical and whomever else is on the hot seat before the bankruptcies start to try and stop the hemorrhaging of the money in the Lawsuits going and yet to come. 'nuff said'.
(Paid for by the Candidate- Lawrence J. Wilson for Mayor of Vienna).