"I thought I would stand here like this so you could see if I was really as big a son of a bitch as you think I am."- George C. Scott as General George S. Patton, Patton, 1970
Like Elmer Gantry, I once again stood behind a podium at the University of Idaho this evening to preach the gospel of corporate America and the free market to poor lost college students who normally don't get to hear it.
UI Economics professor Steve Peterson had me speak to some 75-100 students as part of a "Riddles and Paradoxes" speakers series on economic growth and its interrelationship with environmental issues.
As always, I love to speak anytime (and at length) about growth and development on the Palouse. It was great fun, although the wireless microphone batteries were dead, so I'm a little hoarse after speaking somewhat loudly for over an hour. Thanks to Steve for the invite. I'd post my presentation, "The False Dilemma: Big Boxes, Small Towns," but I'm not quite ready to transfer over to Roadrunner yet and I can't upload anything else to my Adelphia web space (I'm holding on to Adelphia until the bitter end.) If anyone knows of a good, free file hosting site, please let me know.
A real surprise treat was meeting Duane Brelsford's youngest daughter, a UI student, after the presentation. We had a very nice chat. Luckily for me, I had good things to say about her dad, Pullman's biggest developer, in my presentation!
But special thanks to the UI student I spoke with who told me that the Moscow Civic Association/PARD types had warned him that I was a far right wacko. He said after hearing me speak, he could see that I wasn't like that at all. In fact, he stated, my arguments made more sense than theirs. I still remain hopeful that the vast majority of people out there will believe the truth if they could only hear it.
I'm just a person who believes in facts, common sense, the traditional values that made this country great, and calling things like I see them. People can apply whatever label to me that they like.
2 comments:
Tom -
What sort of hosting do you need? I've got free server space on one of my sites that I could contribute, if it's compatible with what you've got.
Congrats, Tom. If the PARD/MCA people felt they needed to prepare the audience for your comments, they must fear your words. I can't find the quote, but this seems to fit, "You will be known by your enemies." It's a compliment to be apposed by PARD and the MCA.
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