Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Recycling In Pueblo

An interesting ‘engagement’.

Yesterday, I had an interesting exchange with a lady, I’ll refer to as M———. It was over the matter of recycling in Pueblo. It may well have boiled down to a matter of misunderstanding—something all too common amongst speakers of the English language. However, it may also be something more insidious in nature. It’s hard to say….

It started with a one-over-the-world e-mail from the Pueblo Recycling Coalition (PRC) touting their endorsement of various candidates for the Pueblo City Council.

In response, one of the candidates endorsed replied-all that if they were elected, recycling would come to Pueblo. Presumably during their tenure.

I thought this a bit odd for two reasons.

The first being Pueblo already HAS ‘recycling’. Albeit of a rather slipshod manner. So, if they were elected, they wouldn’t have to do ANYTHING and they’d have fulfilled their campaign promise, “That Pueblo would have recycling.”

But that’s beside the primary point. And that point is that if this candidate wants to bring recycling to Pueblo in a BIG way, at what price would it come?

So I asked that question of the candidate in a ‘reply-all’ manner: “At what price?”

I got no reply from the candidate. But I DID get a reply from M———. And she seemed rather ‘hot under the collar’ too boot.

Here’s the exchange of e-mails that ensued…...

Good Morning, Chuck:

Though I certainly appreciate your opinions, I would prefer you don’t use e-mails sent to PRC to voice them.  If you have a problem with Steve Nawrocki or any one of the other candidates we’ve endorsed, voice your concern on your own time.  To the best of my knowledge, you haven’t been an active participant in our process and have not lent your views, though we welcome them along with action and involvement. M———

I AM “on my own time’.

If PRC wants to speak politically, don’t expect me to be silenced just because you don’t agree with me.—Myself

And don’t expect me or anyone else to be bullied, Chuck.  We’re not about censorship.  We’re about open-minded folks coming together for the greater good, regardless of party.  If you have a problem with a candidate, bring it up with them or participate in our process.  It’s very easy to criticize while standing on the sidelines.

My time is valuable.  I will not respond to any further, angry correspondence from you.  You are more than welcome to attend a meeting and air your disagreements in a public setting.—M———

Then we’re on the same level.

If you were REALLY as ‘open-minded’ as you like to think, you’d invite open discussion on important issues such as recycling. Not trying to ‘bully’ people into silence by saying you don’t like to hear them express their honestly held opinions.

Methinks you project that ‘bullying’ business, as you were the one who initially contacted me telling me you didn’t care to hear what I had to say on this matter.—Myself

We invited any interested person, even those with opposing views, to attend our meetings.  The meetings were listed in the Pueblo Chieftain and posted on-line. You obviously were receiving e-mails, or you wouldn’t have been on the list to receive the thank-you from Steve Nawrocki. 

I don’t like dragging other people into things, but if you’d like everyone else to see what you’ve so poorly written, I’ll gladly do so.

Best of luck to you in future endeavors-—M———

Better still, let’s take this discussion on-line.

I’ll post our exchanges at http://www.pueblog.us later today or early tomorrow. You’re invited to ‘comment’ in the public venue.—Myself

Awesome!!—M———

So. Here we are. As promised to M———, I’ve posted the engagement here to bring the discussion into the public venue.

Personally? I’m all in favor of recycling. Did it on a regular basis when we lived in Englewood, Colorado, where they had a very efficient system established. It was curb-side service on a bi-weekly basis with our presorting metals from glass from paper from plastic.

However, I’ve not been particularly pleased with some of the efforts presented to accomplish it here in Pueblo. And I’ll be willing to discuss the details of that with anyone who cares to comment here.

Next entry: Shut Up and 'Soldier' Previous entry: The Pueblo Sales Dilemma

1. TO: All
   RE: Awfully….

   ...quiet around here.

   And I thought M——- was interested in open discussion of this matter.

   Maybe she just wanted me to ‘shut up’, after all.

   Regards,

   Chuck(le)
   [The Truth will out….one way or another….]

   .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)  on  10/15  at  06:39 AM

2. TO: All
   RE: Additional Thought

   Whereas M——- states….

   I don’t like dragging other people into things….

   ....in one of her missives, what does she think she’ll be doing if the city makes recycling mandatory? If not dragging EVERYONE in the city into that sort of thing?

   Regards,

   Chuck(le)
   [Projection, n., describing yourself instead of—as you thought—the other person.]

   .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)  on  10/15  at  06:44 AM

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