COMMENTS on the ‘BIKE BORG’ from Moabite BOB GREENBERG (and a Zephyr Reply) & MORE

NOTE:  THE ZEPHYR regularly receives feedback from its readers. In the current issue, a particular story, ‘MOAB IS ASSIMILATED. BIKE BORG MOVES SOUTH…Is Resistance Futile in San Juan County?” has generated a lot of controversy, especially from some Assimilated Moabites. When I reply to feedback like this,  I try to keep it short, but this time, Mr. Greenberg’s references deserved more of my attention. His comment and my reply—and more– can also be found at the bottom of the Borg article:

http://www.canyoncountryzephyr.com/2014/02/03/moab-is-assimilated-bike-borg-moves-south-is-resistance-futile-in-san-juan-county-by-jim-stiles/

AND A REPLY FROM STILES…

Bob…Good to hear from you, though I think you might have had a better understanding of this article if you’d actually read it in its entirety, instead of just reading the pull quotes and MAPN’s interpretation of it. (NOTE:  The ‘Moab Area Progressive Network’ is a closed listserve that allows discussion ONLY from those Moab area citizens who are invited to be a part of it)

It might have also been more helpful for our readers if you’d posted your disclosure at the beginning of your remarks, instead of at the end. You are on the board of directors of  “PLS,” which stands for “Public Lands Solutions.” It is another non-profit lobby which, on its web site advocates for, “research and strategic advice on outdoor industry and public lands” and the “design and implementation of corporate programs on public lands.”

(http://publiclandsolutions.org/Home_Page.php)

RE: the ‘bum rap” I gave Ms Korenblat, I transcribed her comments, Bob, before the San Juan County Commission. They asked her if she supported the creation of “Greater Canyonlands National Monument.” She said, “No.” Then she went on to explain why she, in fact, does, sort of.  I suppose she was dissembling when she said ‘No.’ I could also have used the word ‘backpedal.’

RE: Mr. Bonderman. If you ever read The multitude of stories this publication has offered about his ties to the “Green” movement and his actions as founding partner of TPG Capital, you might not be so uninformed. I will offer just two examples here (I don’t want to overwhelm you with facts)  that might be more of a concern to you than the extravagance of his birthday parties…

EXAMPLE #1
The Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance recently posted an alert regarding energy development in Southeast Utah. Deeda Seed wrote, in part:

“The Western Energy Alliance – a consortium of energy companies and their partners (think Haliburton) – recently filed an appeal with the Interior Department seeking to overturn the BLM’s decision not to offer the leases. This, in spite of the fact that nearly 4 million acres of oil and gas leases currently exist on BLM lands in Utah, and less than 1.1 million acres are actually being used.”

But…One of the Alliance’s members is an energy development and exploration company called PETRO HARVESTER. It falls under the umbrella of the massive private equity firm TPG CAPITAL. Its founding partner and active executive is DAVID BONDERMAN. But Bonderman sits on the board of directors of the GRAND CANYON TRUST and is a major contributor to SUWA.

For a more complete account see: http://www.canyoncountryzephyr.com/2012/08/01/the-green-circle-that-eats-its-own-by-jim-stiles/

You support mainstream greens, Bob. In this ‘Green Circle’ story, I report how Petro Harvester caused the biggest brine spill in North Dakota’s history. Because environmental regs in ND are soft, they got off with a slap on the wrist…My question is, do you think green groups in Utah should feel that since the brine spill occurred in another state, that it’s okay to accept large amounts of cash to combat the SAME KINDS OF IMPACTS in Utah and Arizona? And if Petro Harvester operated on the Colorado Plateau, should these groups be more inclined to refuse large contributions from people like Bonderman? What’s your take on it, Bob?

EXAMPLE #2
Or how about this? Have you heard of ALEC? (American Legislative Exchange Council) This comes from Peaceful Uprising…

“ALEC produces model legislation written by corporations and major industry lobby groups, then dishes out these bills to legislators from around the country. Its annual meeting is coming up in the last week of July, and you can bet ALEC has some new tricks up its sleeve….”ALEC doesn’t only influence environmental policy, of course—it successfully pushes laws that suppress voter turnout, encourage racial profiling, and bust unions, just to name a few of ALEC’s favorite causes. But ALEC has done a tremendous amount of environmental harm with its dozens of anti-environmental bills….”ALEC’s Energy, Environment, and Agriculture Task Force—funded by groups as innocuous and environmentally concerned as ExxonMobil and the American Petroleum Institute, and co-chaired by American Gas Association—thwarts citizens’ democratic right to protect their health and environment.”

This comes from a past Zephyr story…
But here’s how complicated the ‘ALEC Issue” can be. Note that one of ALEC’s members is Energy Future Holdings, based in Texas.  According to SourceWatch.org, “EFH is a member of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC). Sano Blocker, an EFH lobbyist and Senior Vice President of Public Affairs, represents EFH on ALEC’s corporate board as of 2011.”  (http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Energy_Future_Holdings)  The latest update from the Center for Media and Democracy (as of 7/26/12) states that EFH  has not withdrawn from ALEC.

EFH is owned in part by TPG Capital, a massive venture capital company whose founding partner is David Bonderman. TPG is heavily invested in resource extraction around the world. (http://www.tpg.com/portfolio)

On February 29, 2012, “Occupy Dallas #F29–Shut Down the Corporations..National Day of Action” protested in front of Energy Future Holdings’ main office in Dallas, Texas. On its facebook page, one comment read: “How about a sign that says, ‘Energy Future Holding” are Kochsuckers…just a thought. LOL…but seriously.’  Yet the Koch Brothers, known for their conservative views and affiliation with the Republican Party,  have nothing to do with EFH. Bonderman usually aligns himself with the Democratic Party..

http://www.canyoncountryzephyr.com/blog/2012/10/29/peaceful-uprising-a-l-e-c-complicated-adversaries-jim-stiles/

Do you have a problem with any of this, Bob?

Finally, had you fully read the Bike Borg story, you would have known that it was primarily about efforts to turn San Juan County into another Moab, NOT about Moab itself. That’s why I said Moab was “assimilated.” The time spent on Moab in this article constituted less than 10% of it.

I haven’t used the “Clinging Hopelessly to the Past” slogan in years, and mostly  because some of your Moab ‘progressive’ compadres have tried to use it to portray me as a bigoted redneck. I’m sure that you know how untrue that is, that when The Zephyr was a print publication based in Moab, it was a champion of civil and human rights there and I personally spoke out against bigotry and racism when nobody else would. We intervened on behalf of single moms and gay rights and spoke out against attacks against inter-racial marriages. Still most New Moabites believe its history began on the day they arrived, and thus they have no knowledge or understanding of what happened there before.

It’s good to know Moab retains a bit of its old self during the winter months; if that’s enough for you, I can understand your sentiments. But you say that nowadays, “those with the resources will vacation or move to wonderful places.” The key word being “resources,” which is why Moab has become a more exclusive and expensive place to live. Some of the people in San Juan County, however, would like to have more than a few weeks a year to say their town is still theirs. And to be able to AFFORD to live there. THAT was the point of my story….JS

Bob Greenberg

—