Here's how the deal went down: Representative Ann Morgan Lilly (thank you, thank you, thank you) simply asked Mr. Jobe if he would grant such an easement. Mr. Jobe did not hesitate. He was not reticent. He did not have to be cajoled or offered a quid pro quo. He simply said "yes". His motivation could have been the price of doing business or corporate PR and good corporate citizenship - but it really seems to be the case that he did it because he too wanted to preserve that arroyo. He did not have to make such an agreement nor did he have to pay for the surveying to create the easement out of his own pocket - but he did.
What he did sets the standard and raises the bar for all of those who will be developing down stream. If Stanley Jobe can preserve the arroyo in its natural state, why can't everyone else?The Mountain to River Trail preserved in toto will be a huge asset to the City of El Paso.
But there is more to thank Mr. Jobe for. I don't know the exact current figures, but what I'm about ready to say I'm sure is consistent with any statistics. Jobe adds millions of dollars to the El Paso economy each year. He employs hundreds of people. I'm sure his sales figures must be in the hundreds of millions - which is a boost to our economy and a help to our government services through taxes he pays and sales and other taxes his customers and employees pay. Because he has strategically placed his mining operations in areas where El Paso is expanding, he can be competitive and offer materials at a reasonable price. (A large part of the price of rock, gravel, cement, etc. is transportation. He has minimized this.)
I will continue to write that tearing into the mountains at the rate that we are is not sustainable, desirable nor good. But, as I've said before, do we point a finger at Mr. Jobe who fills a demand, or do we do some sober reflection about our demands? Sustainable living isn't going to start with severely restricting quarrying. Sustainability begins with each and every one of us living, planning, deciding more sustainably. If I want the freedom to drive my own car on highways that are in good repair and can accommodate all of us who practice that same freedom . . . if I want to live in a bigger house or build better schools or more places to shop . . . then I had better accept the fact that my demand must be met in a free market economy.
I do think that we, as individuals, businesses and governments, can live more conservatively and that we should in order to be good stewards of our environment and ecosystem. I do think that there are wiser choices in building, developing, engineering, landscaping, etc. and that El Paso is only now beginning to become aware of these better practices.
If Mr. Jobe engages in unfair trade or violates environmental rules, then that is one thing. (I'm not saying that he is.) I do think that it is a huge stretch to raise money for a Commissioner whose agency grants his company leases - it's an ethical problem for Jobe and an ethical problem for Jerry Patterson no matter what the law says or permits. Perhaps that is the price of doing business - but it is also fodder for self-reflection and I say this knowing I have a plethora of things to do some soul searching about just on my own.
The main point is that Jobe Materials is creating wealth that benefits all of us. If we are willing to live with less (and, again, I think that we should personally contemplate the morality of our lifestyles), then the demand on our natural resources and the environmental cost will be less - not because we compelled someone to make it so for us, but because we were willing to make it so ourselves.
I often quote the 18th Century American Quaker, John Woolman: “May we look upon our treasures, the furniture of our houses, and our garments, and try whether the seeds of war have nourishment in these our possessions.” I could paraphrase that and say: "May we look upon our treasures, our houses, our cars, all of our throwaways, and try whether the seeds of environmental destruction have nourishment in these our possessions." Afterall, we are responsible for our own behavior. We don't need scapegoats.
This is also why I like the approach of Quaker Earthcare Witness. It is "a network of Friends (Quakers) in North America and other like-minded people who are taking spirit led action to address the ecological and social crises of the world from a spiritual perspective . . . While QEW supports reforms in laws, technology, education, and institutions, its primary calling is to facilitate transformation of humans' attitudes, values, identity, and worldview that underlie much of the environmental destruction going on in the world today."
One last word about today's PSB meeting. Board member, Dr. Rick Bonart, pointed out that 3 of the 7 principle agenda items were about open space. "El Paso," he said, "has come a long way."
Hallelujah!
ReplyDelete