This just in: our friend Robert Whitesides was right. Remember the activity over in Capac that Enbridge spokesman Jason Manshum said was for integrity work on Line 5? Well, now that same Jason Manshum says that it’s actually a staging area for the Line 6B replacement project, just as Whitesides said (and as we wondered). Of course, it’s a staging for a project for which Enbridge still does not have approval, but still…
Which has us once again scratching our heads and wondering why it is that Enbridge can’t just be forthright from the beginning. Why can’t they just be “open and honest,” as they claim to be? There’s so little to be gained by dissembling to Maria Brown of the Tri-City Times (and kudos to her for staying on the story!) and so much to be lost– namely, their credibility and the trust of their stakeholders. It really defies logic.
I don’t think it defies corporate logic, sadly. I think they know that if they get more done on the sly, no one will actually force them to pull it all out (that would “waste money” and “be unAmerican”)– so it will all slide in the end, just like with the BP Oil spill and the egregious banking shenanigans here and in the UK. The more damage they do, the more leeway they get.
Which is why the work you do, Jeff, is so important. You are holding their feet to the fire. You are refusing to back down. You are raising the bar, reminding all of us what true citizen engagement looks like. And we’re with you! We’re learning from you! We’re pissed at all of this corporate bullshit, Enbridge, and we are going to make an example of you! We’re fired up and we’re going to have a good old fashioned citizen uprising against corporate “entities” who take advantage of the public weal! (Yeah, Enbridge wonks, look it up.)