Sour Grapes ...

ASARCO Turnout - Small, Very Small [from Refuse the Juice by David K. the conservative pro-Asarco guy who obviously didn't drive over to the FACES event and see for himself - reporting news from "here-say", Dave?]

The anti-ASARCO crowd is quietly claiming a successful "Faces Against ASARCO" outing this past Sunday. Paul Strelzin, who is a part of their media machine, made sure to focus on the turnout of the pro-ASARCO crowd and less on the anti-ASARCO. I guess the anti-ASARCO group's turnout wasn't worth talking about? [not when Asarco had to PAY their participants 50$ each to show up!] They said they'd have 25,000 people and I've heard numbers from 500 to 1000. Not quite a big turnout.

ASARCO's guest were invited specifically for the commercial they were doing. I saw no call to the public from them, so I didn't expect them to have a bunch of folks.

As for the anti-ASARCO folks, I think they need to rethink their message that all of El Paso wants ASARCO to remain closed. If you give them the higher of the two reported numbers (1000) and you divide that by our estimated population of around 600,000 you get .0016 percent. That means that less than 1% of the people of El Paso cared to gather against ASARCO. So much for "all of El Paso" caring enough about ASARCO to show up in opposition of it. [um, how about recalculating that percentage by the number of people living within the 3 mile EPA official contamination area??]

I think we've been led to believe that there are all kinds of regular El Pasoans up in arms over the opening of ASARCO, when it's obvious that it's only a core group of people who consider themselves "activists." [I would say that Refuse-the-juice classifies as an activist the same as anyone else ... so why imply that being active on community issues is a bad name?] It's the same group who says "no" to everything. They are trying to create a situation where a vocal minority controls the quiet majority. [does this mean that since only a few people in our community are "rich" that those will "create a situation like opening the smelter where a vocal minority (the rich) controls the quiet majority (the ill, the unborn, the babies and the aged)???] Let's hope they are not successful." [Amen, David, the rich shouldn't get off Scot-free from paying their environmental liabilities off or being responsible citizens]

[still no mention of the Toxic waste burning? Why not? Don't want El Pasoans to know?]

http://refusethejuice.typepad.com/thinkaboutit/2007/09/asarco-turnout-.html

Faces against Asarco Event

"Faces against of Asarco" photo event. Around 5:30, we assembled on land owned by CEMEX at the intersection of I-10 East and Executive Center. Photographs were shot from a crane until about 6:45. We got to see a lot of good friends: Lee, Bobby, and Johnny Byrd; representatives Beto O'Rourke (with new baby) and Suzie Byrd, her husband Eddie Holland, all the little Holland-Byrds; and Rosie Salazar (she's fine, working two jobs). Also, I got to speak to Sen. Eliot Shapleigh (we talked about giving the feds hell about the state of the Ft. Bliss National Cemetery), stood near Nancy from Bordersenses, and was happy to see Mayor John Cook there as well. In all, many, many old and new friends stood in solidarity against Asarco.

All in all it was a great day (impending storm and all) as I believe well over a couple of thousand people stood, raised their hands together to send a message to Austin and wave good bye to Asarco. Thanks to CEMEX for letting us assemble on their land, the EPPD, Ardovino's Desert Crossing (Charlie’s idea for the pix), and all who stood for a very important message: we do not need, nor do we want Asarco to reopen its smelting operations in El Paso, Texas."
http://www.flickr.com/photos/chacal/1431054805/