solotripper wrote on Jan 29^th, 2010 at 6:12pm:

No horse either, but always nice too hear the "locals" side in debates like this ;)

No offense PJ, ST.... but as you guys well know, I believe everyone's a cynic until proven otherwise.

If all I knew was he was a friend of yours that would be one thing but the bemidjipioneer wouldn't let me in and the name sounded familial because I often skim some of the daily Google Alerts I get. I found a few redundant Op-eds by the same author so I'm assuming this link is similar to what was linked to and various editors published.
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Here's the part I question most based on my first impression stated a few pages back.

"• Fact: If any other mining company ever wanted to begin operation anywhere else up north, it would have to go through its own environmental review process. Daub suggests that permitting PolyMet to mine would automatically lead to mining next to the BWCA, which is false."

next paragraph

"• Fact: PolyMet's operation in Minnesota will be so environmentally and technologically cutting-edge that it will be a model for the world -- far from the outdated gloom-and-doom image painted by Friends of the Boundary Waters."

The future is never fact unless you're talking death and taxes and no, of course my doggie doesn't bite. • Fact: In my world, sh*t happens and cutting edge is far too often referred to as the bleeding edge in hindsight.

99 bottles of beer on the wall, 99 bottles of beer. Take one down and pass it around, 98 bottles of beer on the wall.

What does a senior policy fellow at a think tank do exactly? Seriously. I got no clue and would actually love an answer. That's what my high school metals shop teacher used to call whomever he caught smoken behind the break press. (Coffee and donuts avoided suspension type worries plus he was a good natured guy.)

Personally, if I lived in a directly or even indirectly affected local area, I'd be selfishly poo-pooing the idea based simply on truck traffic and it's affect on my quality of life alone not to mention all the indirect costs someone else will pick up. Screw the future. It's done nothing for me to date.