The race is on for the biggest boondoggle of them all. Yes, this race is for all of time, for all the marbles and for all of mankind’s records on Earth. I suppose there should be a prize for the winner, or in this case loser. But, who am I to award such a gem? That privilege should be reserved for royalty or the Greek gods. No matter, we shall push ahead to the games.
The contestants are from the Bennington area and include a late entry. The first is the Bennington bypass project. This work of mankind has been going on for several decades. It started in the early 1970s and then stopped for a few decades. But, is up and moving ahead of schedule for completion in the fall of 2011. The purpose of this multimillion dollar road job is to divert truck traffic around Bennington and ease traffic congestion on the roads entering and then leaving town. The next entry is the state office complex building near Deer Park off of Route 7. This rather complicated feat is going ahead in spite of the fact that oil residue has been found under the “sick building” that sits vacant and torn apart. Years have passed since workers started getting sick with sarcoidosis and had to be moved to trailers. Last is the proposed biomass plant in Pownal at the old race track. This final entry in the race has not yet been approved, but nonetheless deserves to be in the race.
Although it is somewhat difficult to judge a winner, or loser in this case, I think we have one. The fact is they all are major boondoggles and certainly have earned an award. The Bennington bypass is a waste of money and not really needed for Bennington. Rutland is where the bypass should be. With traffic backed up all day, everyday, on Route 7 coming into and leaving town, Rutland is totally congested and gridlocked.
The state office complex is a sick building and should not be repaired. It needs to be torn down and buried and the site cleaned up. But, the winner has to be the proposed biomass plant in Pownal. This polluter and future eyesore project will poison the air and water in and around Pownal. Williamstown, Bennington, and Pownal will all suffer. The one thing that Pownal has going for it is clean water and clean air. That too will be polluted.
It’s nice to know we have a winner, but only one of them can be stopped before it damages our air and water.
Tom King
Pownal
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