Letter to the Editor: Tammy Bridges

It is not of importance how much research into biodiesel plants and production the commissioners conducted before the meeting to decide about the rezoning. It is of no importance, really, the opinion of four men who were elected by us to represent us, the people, regarding taking a chance with our lives.

Their opinions no longer matter to me because I am still waiting for the shock and senselessness of their decision to wear off. It is not dimming.

What matters is that there are children living on that street and in those communities. There are irreplaceable lives. These are men telling me that they are willing to take a small chance with our lives in order to turn a small profit. All those involved may be willing to take a small risk because they are the ones making the profit.

Tell me, how much money is a life worth these days?

Speaking of worth: We also need to realize that the "poor farmers" who are benefiting from this plant are as far from poor as some of us are from Bill Gates rich. They are taking the money the people of the community have invested in their small parcels of land over many years, which could be used to take care of them in their elder years, and putting it into a scheme to make the wealthy farmers richer.

"We don't have the funds" usually means you do something different. You don't steamroll the majority to benefit a few. There is no argument, property values may go down. The only way to achieve highest market value is in conformity of a neighborhood. A chemical plant in the middle of hundreds of homes is not conforming. The values will go down - and dramatically - along with our quality of life. Cherished homes will become prisons.

Pleading, innocent ignorance and submissiveness may seem easy now, in front of a group of men in business suits who seem to have your best interest in mind - and no one else's (still trying to figure that out). It gets harder as the years go by and the audience changes.
At least, that's using the standards many of us in civilized society choose to live by. We not only treasure our own families and interests, we value all of our community. We value life over dollars, every life.

Tammy Bridges
Statesville