rural social justice – Page 27 – Rural Tompkins County

“All Roads Lead to Cornithaca” – “Protecting the Assets of the Rich” Bumper Sticker

When a car chase/gun fight on one of the local roads caused a higher number of complaints than usual; the County made an announcement:

One: There are only a “few bad characters.” Two: Their department was too small. And Three: It would be too expensive for the County to do anything about it.

Just the sort of response you would expect from a County Sheriff’s Dept. that will only show up in rural areas when it’s called, write a report, and leave.

Tompkins County’s “Ag Ghetto” policies, like other ghettos in other places, is one of containment. It’s a tool that Urban Colonialism uses to marginalize the rural natives.

Another tool? High rural property taxes — my neighbor just received a 10% increase in his County assessment: it takes an important amount of money to serve the important areas of Tompkins County.

“All Roads Lead to Cornithaca” – “Greed in the face of need” Bumper Sticker

How does Tompkins County save money? By denying public services to the county’s rural poor.

Public transportation is stopped miles away from those farthest from doctors, medication and groceries. And the drugs and crime that poverty produce are handled by a Sheriff’s department that only come when they’re called, write a report, and leave.

The County does maintain one presence; its Assessors are constantly raising rural valuations to enable higher taxes — and rural families living on roads named for them are forced to leave and make room for urban sprawl developments and corporate cronies.

“All Roads Lead to Cornithaca” – “Poverty is more than color” Bumper Sticker

Poverty may be more than color; but public policy isn’t. Unfortunately, there aren’t enough blacks living in rural New York for the community to be worth caring about.

Even the pretense of equal worth has been replaced by an openly dismissive “somebody has to take the hit” philosophy, and disguised with an over the top ladling of “the greater good.”

After all; when “somebody” has to take the hit — it’s always a campaign decision.

“All Roads Lead to Cornithaca” – “When the morning mist is herbicide” Bumper Sticker

Rural Tompkins County is a place where residents need to be vigilant when they hang out their wash. Giant agricultural boom-sprayers spray herbicides that drift across the landscape like a toxic fog — coating the toys that children play with, and the sheets they sleep on with glyphosate and other chemicals.

How can Agribusinesses get away with this? Because the regulations aren’t enforced — that’s what friends in high places are for.

“All Roads Lead to Cornithaca” – “When politicians won’t kiss your blue baby” Bumper Sticker

There has never been a long-term study made to evaluate the effects of factory farming methods on the rural community. Such a study would not be welcome.

How many rural babies have died because of nitrates in their drinking water? Nobody knows. Autopsies are rarely performed on infants.

If you’re a poor rural family, and a factory farm pollutes your well; what happens? Nothing. That’s your problem. Authorities advise spending a few thousand dollars on a reverse osmosis system or buying bottled water; but that is all they will give: the advice. What can you do? Where can you go? That’s your problem.

Agriculture-funded politicians and colleges are dismissive of the conditions that rural families are forced to endure; they can afford to be — or rather, they can’t afford not to be. Just follow the money.

“Escape form Corruption” Board Game: Free Printable Download

“Escape form Corruption” Board Game Download (1064 downloads )

This board game borrows material from an upcoming book with the working title: “Tompkins County and Tammany Hall [I can’t seem to find any difference at all]”.

This book will present the strongest possible circumstantial case through documented actions, polices, and statements — all pointing in the same direction.