Too Stupid to Follow the Rules?

I just read the article on the blog re: the decision of the Bd of Appeals to allow the permit for UMI. Their reasoning is nuts...but it might signal the strategy Coles intends to pursue: "It's easier to ask for forgiveness (so to speak) than for permission".

The guy who said he thought he'd rather drive by the place with the uranium samples stored in containers than with them just laying around sort of tipped his hand, didn't he? Coles should have gotten permission from the board BEFORE he started sampling. He didn't. So now the Bd of Appeals is reacting to his improper (if not illegal) activities and taking retroactive steps. They're condoning his refusal to comply with practices and procedures that are in place as ordinances/local laws by caving in to him. How stupid is that? But how fortunate for Coles! He can do whatever he wants because he's dealing with something folks think is dangerous which will force them to give in to him to protect the people and environment retroactively. That's a lot easier than delaying things while playing a stupid little game called "following proper procedure" or "respecting local ordinances".

When you're sitting on $10B, it appears, you can afford to think your local friends and neighbors are too stupid to force you to do the right things in the right order. In fact, when you're sitting on $10B of radioactive materials, I guess you can do whatever you want: you can even prove that your local friends and neighbors are too stupid to make you follow the rules. Forcing the folks around you to be reactive precludes them from being proactive. Proactively by the opposition could slow (or halt) the process by giving those in charge of the legal standards reason/opportunity to hesitate, or even to stop the process, by having enough information/sentiment to have to agree that glowing isn't a good idea. So it's necessary to force reactivity. "We've already got this nasty stuff coming out of the ground...eeek! Hurry! Do the right thing...let us do it the right way!" What a strategy.

Cole has jumped the first hurdle...probably the biggest hurdle in some ways...by going around the rules. I can't see him changing that strategy since, so far, it's been 100% effective. That's scary. He might need to play by the rules a little more in Richmond but he can still circumvent detection while he's doing it which could have the same effect: that of rendering the opposition powerless.

Looks like SCC needs to be pounding the legislature with proactive letters and emails...now. Looks like too that you're going to need everyone downstream to help..now. My money says that the sooner you get Va Beach (and as much of the rest of the state as possible) on board, the better. The snowball has already rolling down the mountain. You might not be able to stop it by chasing and catching it but you might be able to put up roadblocks if you hurry.

Coles could easily wait until the very last few days of the legislative session to introduce his study proposal bill, assuming HJ 75 isn't a covert attempt, which will preclude the opposition/SCC from effectively making its case before a vote. I can't see him giving SCC (or any opposition) the opportunity to respond in any way to the bill after it's introduced; his people are heavily lobbying as we speak. (I wouldn't be surprised if every member has received a copy of Peter Christopher's report...for overt factual 'scientific' info as well as covert investment propaganda.) When he knows he's got the votes, a bill will be introduced and it will fly through the process in record time. The closer to the end of the session he can make this happen, the better for him. If he can do it as a joint resolution requiring only voice votes, he can just about wait until the very last day.

SCC needs to be making its noise NOW. Don't rely on Hogan to tip you off that it's time to start...Coles knows who Hogan is...he'll be the last person Coles will lobby. Your entire local delegation can be skipped. Serious lobbyists work behind the scenes in mysterious ways (well, mysterious to us mere mortals). Hogan might be a good guy but there are hundreds of bills in Richmond that are going to need his attention, if only for the time it takes to decide they don't need any more attention. Legislators are seriously rushed during a session...there's a huge amount of work to be tackled in Richmond, including redistricting which can unseat folks quite quickly, which they just hate, and try to fight above all else. Coles' uranium is only one thing. It's a huge thing but only to some people. And if lobbyists are crawling around saying that "so-and-so is on board" (regardless of whether "so-and-so" really is on board), then the underlying/unspoken message is that the opposition, if it exists at all, isn't getting anywhere...this study should be a done deal. Talk about "eeek!"
Just my humble opinion, of course.

Wallace Nunn