Power Lines

No, silly, not that other blog. You know, lines carrying electricity. Apparently building these for the benefit of people in cities will destroy all that is holy about rural Virginia.

Power line opponents were sensitive Monday to the perception that a few well-heeled gentleman farmers concerned about the views from their estates are blocking progress and jeopardizing electricity for the region.

"This is not about a few wealthy landowners' self-interest," (actor Robert) Duvall said at the news conference. "This is about corporate vandalism."

Martha Toomey of Orlean said the power lines would hurt a region that has eschewed residential growth and sought to build an economy based on agriculture and tourism.

"We're not sitting out here making daisies. This is about business," Toomey said.

Having recently driven through those areas, I'm skeptical to any proclamations about farming. Robert Duvall may indeed have a farm, but most of the 'farmers' living in Fauquier are raising horses, not growing soybeans. Rich people with their toys.

You know, some other areas of the country have found that tourism can be a part of their local economy even when it's not rural. Take the above photo. The little, out-of-place house in the middle originally sat on 32 acres all by itself in the middle of rural Manhattan. Now it's near W 141st St in NYC.

That house belonged to Alexander Hamilton, patriot, war hero, and first Treasury Secretary. Sounds historic to me. Maybe they ought to restore it by tearing down all those other cluttery buildings around it, huh?


Heaven forbid, what would they think today about this second picture. See the peninsula in the upper left corner? That's Jamestown. You know, Captain John Smith and Pocahontas. Pretty historic stuff!

See the peninsula in the lower right? The one with the little straight canals? That's the Surry Nuclear Power Station. Could they even think about building that, today, only 4 miles from the first permanent English settlement on the continent?

Well, at least while Duvall and his cronies are burning horse poops for warmth, I'll have a nice electric supply.