Saturday, September 4, 2010

UnSound Decisions

So now that the celebrities have okayed the port expansion project, the whole game changes. Peter Garrett thinks it's alright, as does our very own westy ranga (that would be the state minister for the environment). What's next?

Just one or two questions:

In working the room, the Albany Port Authority sends out media releases and refuses to be interviewed on the subject of the port expansion, thus utterly controlling their media content. (I've been in the room when this is going on. It's true.) Local newspapers and radio are so controlled by the bottom line that they don't have the man hours to chase up dissenters. Fifty percent of the newspapers in Albany are beholden to the advertising dollar of the Albany Port Authority. Now if Brad Williamson got around town wearing Rupert Murdoch's mask maybe I would understand this brand of reverent, unquestioning subservience in the media. But he doesn't. So it's getting close to the time where we start asking questions of the Albany Advertiser and whether they are informing, or simply advertising by rote.

Is the population of Albany willingly seduced by the latest charm offensive run by the Albany Port Authority and Grange Resources? Are we ready for the Walk of Shame in the morning? The Albany Port Authority appears very eager to pimp out our waters to the big miners (as long as they pay cash).

What we are seeing in the newspapers is story after story about the cash sprayed around for artists, museums, kids with disabilities etc etc. One of the TAFE open day's few photo opportunities in the local newspapers was for Grange and APA spruiking for jobs. All from one busted rudder.

Remember the Cove? Gone.

Feeling a bit compromised by your anger with the Albany Port Authority filling in natural coastline and dumping arsenic shit in the Sound -and the money you've received through the Atlantic Eagle Fund? Don't be. Take their money. And then tell them to F .... Off.
If you don't feel you can do that, then have a really good look at what is going on here.

And one final question:
Who elected these guys?