Comm. Barfield, Taxpayer Expense And Father’s Legacy

There is no doubt that the entirety of the methodology behind Commisisoner Barfield’s Quixotic quest to keep the incinerator alive and well is all about dad.  His dad, then a commissioner in the early 80s, helped create Wastec and Jonathan wants to keep it going.

Like most folks, I’m a big fan of dads, I have an amazing one myself, love the guy, but I wouldn’t force taxpayers into a 50% increase in their waste disposal to protect his legacy.  In fact, if I was honoring him, I’d probably figure out a way to bring down the cost of business for folks.

But Commissioner Barfield has long lamented the now aged and useless incinerator known as Wastec.  He has blamed previous boards for lack of upkeep and he has done all he can to figure out a way to keep this aged idea going in spite of a flurry of reasons to let it go.

In the end, when Barfield decided to oppose Titan due to air quality issues and support Wastec without air quality issues, it became more about dad than you and I.

(Port City Daily) “Not only will we comply with the new permit requirements, we will continue to seek ways to further reduce the emissions,” said Barfield. “But that is nothing new—as the facility has a long history of operating below permitted levels. “If this is truly a community concern,” he added, “then we can also all take responsibility for preventing dioxins from entering the waste stream in the first place.”

If he really believed such things, he would apply the same logic to Titan, which he won’t.  It’s time to let this one go Commissioner Barfield.  There are numerous solutions and new technologies that make this incinerator a relic not a solution.