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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsThe Wreckers' Grand Canyon Intentions
Sarana Riggs, left, with Save the Confluence, and Roger Clark, program director for the Grand Canyon Trust, above the confluence of the Little Colorado and Colorado Rivers, where a proposed billion dollar development project, the Grand Canyon Escalade, would be located, in Arizona, Nov. 20, 2014. The proposed development is the latest, and arguably the most ambitious, in a long and contentious history of attempts by developers to build near the Grand Canyon, a national landmark which draws 4.5 million people a year. (Monica Almeida/The New York Times)
The Wreckers' Grand Canyon Intentions
By William Rivers Pitt
Truthout | Op-Ed
Saturday 21 February 2015
Twenty years ago, my friend Kevin and I piled our ragged belongings into the back of his Chevy beater and drove from Massachusetts to California. It was November and we were worried about weather, so we dove south and traversed the country in a giant loop. We stopped in DC to visit friends, stopped in Alabama to visit family, and stopped in New Orleans for a night that will live in infamy.
From there it was on to Texas to visit more friends...and after that, we were on our own - no more friends or family to offer a bed for the night - so we decided to bomb straight through the second half of the trip and not stop until we got to San Francisco.
Which we did, with one exception: we paused at the Grand Canyon. We pulled into the entrance at three o'clock in the morning, the only ones there. As we drove up the long route, deer and jackrabbits flashed past the headlights. We parked in a viewing area on the western rim of the massive gorge, which was nothing but a vast black hole at that hour.
Kevin wrapped himself in a blanket and immediately passed out - we'd been driving non-stop since College Station, Texas - but I couldn't sleep. I stood at the rail before the canyon with the cold November air on my face. Above shined the Milky Way like I'd never seen it, before me was that fathomless darkness, and in my exhausted, elated state, I felt as if I was swimming in space. I stood, and stared, and contemplated all the turns of fate that had brought me to that place.
And then the sun rose, and devoured the darkness, replacing it with an astonishment of color, a riot of hues, and it was the most beautiful and fulfilling moment I have ever shared with Nature. The sunlight poured through the windshield and woke Kevin up. He gave a brief honk of the horn and startled me out of my reverie. I dumped myself into the driver's seat, pulled out, and we didn't stop until we hit Clement Street. I needed no sleep; if God exists, I spent that night and morning staring into Her face, and it changed me forever.
If an organization called Confluence Partners has its way, however, not long from now the next person to stand in that spot and watch the sunrise will be presented with a different vision: a 420-acre strip mall perched on the eastern rim of the Canyon, complete with stores, chain restaurants, a massive RV park, and a gondola to carry swaths of American laziness past all that natural beauty straight to the canyon floor...but only after they enjoy some jalapeno poppers and a large Diet Coke at Chili's.
It is difficult to wrap one's mind around an idea so comprehensively awful as this. They are called "Confluence Partners" because the project looks to be built at the confluence of the Colorado River and the Little Colorado River, which are only the lifeblood of the ecosystem there. A massive construction project, followed by the arrival of thousands of people and cars with their attendant garbage and petroleum fumes, will obliterate the environment in one of the planet's most glorious natural habitats.
The rest: http://www.truth-out.org/opinion/item/29221-the-wreckers-grand-canyon-intentions
Wellstone ruled
(34,661 posts)for this to happen. It is all about big time profits by a hand full of Mega Rich Americans and Mega Rich Chinese Tour Operators. This folks already have big bucks tied up with Native Americans and The Sky Walk a few miles east. Remember this,Arizona is all about Corporate Profits and screw the Environment and their citizens,unless they are rich white folk. The same thing is going on at Zion and Bryce Canyon. If you have ever been to Mesa Verde,diddo.
gregcrawford
(2,382 posts)... 40 years ago, after spending the previous week hiking along the Kaibab to catch the Bright Angel trail down to the foot bridge. Anyone that would defile the Grand Canyon with strip malls or uranium mines deserves to take the two-minute express route to the bottom.
Curmudgeoness
(18,219 posts)Excellent idea.
paleotn
(17,920 posts)CaliforniaPeggy
(149,627 posts)Enthusiast
(50,983 posts)These are the real "evil doers".
alfredo
(60,074 posts)mrmpa
(4,033 posts)that ALEC is offering legislation for Individual States to take control of the Federal Parks within them. If and when that happens we will no longer have what Teddy Roosevelt helped establish and envisioned for this country.
alfredo
(60,074 posts)They might have to sell or lease the land to the extraction industries. Of course if the state is Republican, the land will be leased or sold immediately.
Ed Suspicious
(8,879 posts)corporations.
alfredo
(60,074 posts)Art_from_Ark
(27,247 posts)upon hearing that someone wanted to build a cableway linking the North and South rims, "Do nothing to despoil its grandeur". He was instrumental in getting the Grand Canyon designated as America's 3rd national park in 1908, after Yellowstone (1872) and Yosemite (1890). If Teddy were alive today, he would certainly raise a mighty fit if he knew of this cockamamie scheme to despoil the magnificence of the canyon with a gaudy mall.
trumad
(41,692 posts)K&R
SheilaT
(23,156 posts)if eventually there are million-dollar condos built at the Grand Canyon.
erronis
(15,286 posts)Just like Florida or Phoenix or wherever your favorite rich-man's gated paradise is located? After all, those steep hills are hard to play golf on...
SheilaT
(23,156 posts)One wonders why it hasn't happened yet.
Moving away from the sarcasm, I know we all desperately hope that we will not lose places like the Grand Canyon to out of control development.
Solly Mack
(90,769 posts)hatrack
(59,587 posts)"Boy, I'd love to get the contract to fill that son-of-a-bitch up with cement!"
That was 50 years ago, and apparently absolutely nothing has changed.
turbinetree
(24,703 posts)John McCain has stood back and endorsed this plan and the media and the state and local government and especially the citizens of this state should be out in the streets saying something about this and holding these people accountable, but I forget this is the state that has political corruption since the 1860's, and if you look at the Tombstone gunfight it says it all, and Theodore Roosevelt made it his purpose to correct this stuff and now its coming back with a vengeance by the oligarchies and there supporters like McCain and other right wing Politian's from the state.
I have been to the Grand Canyon it is truly awe inspiring in colors and history and now the proverbial greed is what it is greed, to hell with everyone else.
hatrack
(59,587 posts)He's endorsing this POS? He's going to just take a dump on his own limited environmental "legacy".
What the fuck ever, John.
turbinetree
(24,703 posts)Truthout has piece on the Uranium mining venture on the South Rim and on McCain and from what I have seen since then he has not backed down in fact he is quite wishy-washy and if a republican president gets into office hold onto your north rim seats, the Navaho be damn, and how they treat the Grand Canyon.
My parents live in Arizona, outside Tucson just so that they can get as much benefits from the retirement that they have, plus they love the west just like I do, but they don't trust McCain, if its not for McCain, the key to this is how McCain is looking at the Navaho First Nations people on this issue and other issues, from all indications he does not really care, past history says this
blackspade
(10,056 posts)The costs of doing the cultural resources alone should give these asshole developers pause.
Major Nikon
(36,827 posts)ND-Dem
(4,571 posts)of Dracula-type human being would even think of it?
http://grandcanyonescalade.com/confluence-partners-llc/
Lamar Whitmer, 56, of Fulcrum Group and Confluence Partners LLC, is a close advisor to Scottsdale Mayor Jim Lane... He was accused by local newspaper columnist Robert Leger a few years back of using public comment time at the meetings for "over-the-top" attacks against politicians who didn't share his views.
Whitmer, a political consultant, is perhaps best known for helping the city's strip clubs overturn legislation that would have banned lap dances in 2006. One of those clubs, Skin, is owned by Todd Borowsky - brother to city councilwoman Lisa Borowsky and son of Arizona Snowbowl ski resort owner Eric Borowsky...Back in 1991, Whitmer made headlines when he was accused of pocketing $40,000 in per diem expenses in one year as head of the Maricopa County Sports Authority.
http://navajotimes.com/news/2012/0412/041712whit.php
There are some big interests involved, if you read through the list of principals. And Donald Trump has some kind of connection as well.
Here's a letter from a Navaho tribal member about the inside baseball, as well as other issues r/t waste management, water, etc:
My opinion is that Hale has knowledge of Navajo law and access to President Shelly. As such, he has interpreted the people's participation in the project to fit what his partners' want, which is to place the Escalade on a fast track.
However, what Hale seems to ignore is the fact that the Escalade is causing disharmony among the Bodaway land users; campaigning by browbeating people in the Navajo language and importing a medicine man from elsewhere to tell the locals their classic Navajo faith is dying to convince them to buy into the project is unacceptable. This is a reflection of how the Partners operate and I'm disappointed in Hale's leadership.
https://www.facebook.com/SavetheConfluence/posts/266925100105762
https://www.facebook.com/SavetheConfluence?fref=nf
aint_no_life_nowhere
(21,925 posts)where will they go to enjoy their money?
drmeow
(5,018 posts)it sounds like the Navajo Nation leadership (who will be the final deciders) are in favor. Even as a resident of AZ, I'm not sure how much influence non-Navajo can have.
blkmusclmachine
(16,149 posts)AngryDem001
(684 posts)their next stop will be our homes. They will raze middle class neighborhoods so they can build their mansions and golf courses.
mountain grammy
(26,622 posts)I honestly believe if this becomes common public knowledge, it will be stopped. I have to believe that. If not, I think there's nothing left worth saving.
I was just there with my family last summer, my third trip.
Wellstone ruled
(34,661 posts)and other Right Wing scumbags keep trying to force the Interior Department to turn Federal Lands back to the States. These turd balls have successfully taken 22,000 acres of land in and around Zion Park in Utah. All in the name of development.
paleotn
(17,920 posts)... I've stared for hours into the vastness of the Milky Way many times. I can relate. There are few better ways of putting ourselves and earthly things in proper perspective.
As for shopping malls on the rim of the Grand Canyon? That's a vision only a developer could love. To me "developer" is a pejorative, worse than the lowest most noxious forms of life on this planet or any other.
handmade34
(22,756 posts)I have been to the Grand Canyon 4 times and twice hiked down... already it is too commercial and much too precious a natural wonder to deface any further...
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alfredo
(60,074 posts)walked back out.
Thespian2
(2,741 posts)no way to stop GREEDY BASTARDS.
ReRe
(10,597 posts)... put their billions into bringing clean free water and housing to third world countries who have neither because multi-nationals have destroyed local and world environment.
Great reminiscence, Will. Thanks for sharing it.
8 track mind
(1,638 posts)and shared on my facebook
MatthewStLouis
(904 posts)What is wrong with these greedy people? Have they no shame? Is nothing sacred? Who the hell wants to make one of the most beautiful parks on the planet a place that offers no more solace than Disneyland?!
C Moon
(12,213 posts)sometimes I believe they don't even care if they are still alive when it happens.
dhill926
(16,339 posts)Perhaps some serious monkey wrenching might be in order
LittleGirl
(8,287 posts)Our last 'vacation' in the states was a day trip to the canyon last October on the way to Vegas to see the Eagles in concert. My facebook profile photo is in front of the south side of the canyon. One of the best days of my life was seeing the canyon. And on a flight back from Seattle a year ago, we flew over it at 33k feet and that is a sight in itself as well. WOW. I told my husband then, we live in AZ, we have to see the canyon even if it is on the other side of the state. It took almost 7 hrs to get there.
Pooka Fey
(3,496 posts)I know the Grand Canyon, too - I lived in AZ for 14 years and I still visit regularly. AZ nature is so beautiful and fragile. They say the whole Grand Canyon is a vortex. Thanks, Will.
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Ilsa
(61,695 posts)a bulldozer and fill it with dirt. It just won't matter any more.