Cronyism is alive and well in Bonner County

Cronyism is alive and well in Bonner County and it was only too obvious at the recent Bonner County commissioners’ appeal hearing for the proposed Interstate asphalt batch plant in Sagle. It didn’t take long to discern that the commissioners had no intention of overturning their previous approval of Interstate Paving’s request despite valid and well stated input from the affected Sagle residents.

The first part of the meeting was a rehash of Interstate’s proposal and a long-winded recitation by the planning department that the proposal broke no laws and fulfilled all parameters of the request.

Lawyers for Interstate droned on about how the smell of asphalt was pleasant and one profusely thanked the commissioners for their wonderful guidance and assistance in helping Interstate get the permit. (Hmm, cronyism at its best.)

It was interesting to note during this long-drawn out charade that the seated audience was well salted with Interstate employees, forcing Sagle residents to stand at the perimeter of the room or out in the lobby. The sound system was poor, making it difficult to hear, though when it finally became time for resident comments, the system worked fine.

The residents of Sagle are understandably upset. We are already affected by Linscott’s dust that they do not consistently abate (I am over one-half mile away and my house is dustier than when I lived on a dirt road.) Previous operation of a temporary batch plant there polluted the air and environment, making nearby residents ill. Even more scary is that this operation will sit on top of the Sagle aquifer that provides the only available water to hundreds of residents.

In addition, more heavily laden trucks will be entering Highway 95 at the point the highway narrows from four lanes to two, creating a bigger bottleneck than what already exists and a safety hazard.

The commissioners continue to point out that everything proposed is legal. That may be true, though Idaho and Bonner County have a lot of third-world country environmental laws in place. The point of the matter goes well beyond legality; it falls into the realm of morality. Watching the commissioners avuncularly address Interstate’s entourage, then turn on the residents by being rude and dismissive was eye-opening. To heck with the citizens and up with business, regardless of the all too apparent health and environmental issues. These three men are bullies, pure and simple and give the appearance of being in Interstate’s deep pockets.

I expected a fair hearing. How naïve of me.

By the way, there was no address to how Interstate plans to abate their current Baldy Mountain Road property.

CHERIE WARBER

Sagle