August 1997: Watching Moab 'Institutions' Die

by Jim Stiles

     After years of being caught in the middle of local political controversies, I have been grateful to be able to watch Moab's latest embroglio from the sidelines. It's a lot safer over here.

     Of course I'm talking about the garbage contract controversy (For out-of-towners, Bob's Sanitation recently lost its Moab City contract after 27 years to a company that supposedly underbid him by seven dollars a month). I've never seen such a tangled mess.

     After listening to articulate spokespersons from both sides of the fence (I avoided hysteria whenever possible), I am just as confused as I ever was about who is right and who is wrong. It appears to me that both sides made some serious blunders, creating the beginnings of a small fire, and then a lot of hot air from all directions fanned that little flame into a conflagration.

     I've watched Moab get pretty ugly over the last ten years (let's not forget the toxic waste incinerator and the Book Cliffs Highway), but for good old hyperbole and hate, this is right up there with them.

     On a personal level and putting the gruesome aftermath of all this aside for a moment...I prefer Bob. He's been picking up Moab's garbage for almost 30 years, he always waves to me when we pass on the street, his employees work their butts off and I feel comfortable with the service. It did seem to me that the price was getting a little high, but I really didn't care. His bid was seven bucks more a month. Or was it $1.75 a month? I have no idea. In today's New Moab, the worst case scenario increase is two iced mocha cappucinnos every 30 days. You know?

     But getting away from the haze and maze of minutia, and looking at the bigger picture, this almost seemed inevitable. Bob is actually the third "Moab Institution" to go by the wayside this year. Last winter, the Westerner Grill closed its doors for the last time after serving this community for four decades. And last month, after 37 years, Moab Lanes, our bowling alley also went out of business.

     This is what happens when a small town relinquishes its right to control its own destiny. That's what Moab did about eight or nine years ago when it welcomed any and all growth and development, no matter who it might impact. The money just looked too good and the argument for that kind of change was always: Growth is good. Growth expands the tax base. Growth reduces the individual tax burden. Growth makes Life better.

     Unfortunately it's all a lie. If you want to get mad and scream at Moab's governing bodies, take a look at who was on the City Council and the County Commission back in 1988. How many of those guys expressed concern about changing Moab? How many of them practically gave Corporate America the keys to the city? And how many of those elected officials saw the risk but sat on their hands and kept their mouths shut tight? Check it out.

     And I'd be curious to know how many of the most outspoken Bob Supporters were also fans of the Big Boom in Moab that started in the early 90s and continues to this day. Moab isn't the same town and its citizens are different too. Many of Moab's new citizens have no recollection of the Westerner Grill and the great stories told around the counter for years and years. It was my entertainment. It was a joy to be a part of it. But it's gone.

     My old neighbor Toots McDougald could call up Bob at three in the afternoon and ask him to pick up a dead cat she found in her back yard, and ten minutes later, Bob would be there. I'm not sure if New Moab cares about such gestures.

     And I'm not trying to denigrate Moab's new arrivals either. They're just accustomed to something different. The town has changed and it's going to change a lot more. As I've said before, Moab is becoming someone else's dream. Some people call that Progress.

     I do think some of the 'Old Timers' did Bob a disservice when they put such an ugly spin on the controversy. Beyond the attacks on Mecham, some blamed the 'newcomers' (Moabites who have only lived here ten or twenty years) and made a lot of inflammatory statements. Like...

     "Well you got what you wanted! You drove Bob out of business! You newcomers have ruined our town!" You'd be amazed who said that.     

     Such vitriol was not very effective in solidifying public opinion. I'd bet half of Moab's citizens have been here less than 20 years. And some of Moab's oldest Oldtimers have supported, and benefited from, the Boom that helped contribute to the demise of these 'Moab Institutions.' I mean, really, guys...give me a break.

     Finally, I have to come to the defense of Ken Davey, the Channel 6 News Editor and Times-Independent reporter. Sure, Ken can be a pain in the butt at times and I know he's given Moab's elected officials fits for almost a decade. But I've always observed that, whatever he might say at a public meeting, what he puts in print or on the air is as fair and balanced as any reporting I've ever seen. I cannot believe that he's being blamed for Bob losing his contract. It's incredible. It's ridiculous.

     And I realize that I'm stepping on some of what Peter Haney has to say on page 4. I don't agree with all of Peter's Nutshell column that follows this one.

     But I don't hate him for it either.