There’s a reason that Danville Vice-Mayor Gary Miller didn’t invite SouthsideCentral along on his Wednesday river expedition. I’d have told him that he was a conspiracy-spouting nutball who should know better than to spread unsubstantiated theories that stupid people will actually believe.
Let’s get to the newspaper article that has made my head explode. (Register & Bee article, paywall may apply unless you break through it)
Vice mayor takes to Dan River looking for algae source
Seriously. Friggin’ seriously, people.
I will say that reporter Denise Thibodeau’s photos are rather good, considering that she was Miller’s exclusive choice to record this brave expedition. Well, maybe the one that is taken through the tree branches looks a bit through-the-rifle-scope stalkerish, but I’m sure her intentions were in the right spot.
Let’s gut this article slowly and painfully.
…instead of finding obvious signs of algae present in the water, he saw what he suspects are coal ash deposits along river banks. Miller collected both water and the dark, sandy substance he believes to be coal ash samples and plans to have them analyzed.
No shit, Doc. The only “obvious signs of algae” was when the greenish water came though Danville and went right on down past Danville. Nobody has reported “obvious signs of algae” since then, because THEY’RE NOT THERE! Thanks for confirming that. I do look forward to Miller’s laboratory analysis. Once he farts the results out, Denice Thibodeau will be the first one to smell it.
“This time of year, I see mussels and a lot of turtles; I’m not seeing them this year … I believe the coal ash [removal at Abreu-Grogan Park] sucked every bit of the ecosystem out of this part of the river,” Lawson said. “Today we saw a bald eagle and its nest. Eagles eat fish from the river; is it going to die?”
That’s what we heard last year. All of that dead turtles and missing mussels garbage. That was totally disproved by scientific study, but Whoops! That didn’t fit the environmentalist agenda so they never responded to those facts. Come to think about it, Gary Miller never responded to those disproved claims either.
I like to use logic. Logically, there was much more coal ash in the river last year than there could possibly be this year, with trillions of gallons of water having flowed through since then. Nobody found any evidence of dead eagles then so it is logical that the chances of that would be even lower this year. You know, that “no effect so far” thing. If the eagles start to have heart problems, we’ve got a cardiologist on the river ready to step in. Somehow, I feel Miller would blame that on the Virginia General Assembly’s failure to expand Medicaid.
“If you’ve got some kind of cancer and are on chemo, you should probably drink bottled water,” Miller said, calling it a precaution against any algae that might slip through the treatment process might have on those patients.
Gary Miller’s right on this. Of course he hadn’t said this in the last four or so weeks that the algae problem has been affecting the water supply, but he’s saying it now to Denice. Denice didn’t ask why he’s just issuing that medical advice now, of course.
Miller said he is not convinced Duke Energy’s coal ash is not at least partially to blame. “This never happened before the coal ash spill, so you have to wonder,” Miller said.
No, you don’t have to “wonder”, Doc. You can use logic and rational thinking. You can think that if this problem is now being detected in the Smith River (that has never had any coal ash contamination), that coal ash contamination wouldn’t be the cause of this algae bloom. Dr. Former Microbiologist should also know the usual causes of algae blooms… and coal ash isn’t one of them.
“So you have to wonder” is a phrase that makes stupid people justify forming and believing conspiracy theories. Stupid people then spread those stupid conspiracy theories and it’s hard to stop that juggernaut. Gary Miller should be ashamed of publicizing his little fishing expedition and championing himself as The Man Who Is Watching Out For You.
I expect better from a man that is as intelligent as Miller. I demand better from the man that holds the title of Vice-Mayor.
What a loon… Perhaps he saw one of those too.
As Barney Fife Would Say ” “Red Crested Web Footed Lake Loon”
Wow…I take it that you are not in awe of Dr. Miller’s expedition…I hope that he does not get on your bad side!
I do like it that we are paying attention to the great resource that the Dan is, to our community.
Blueridge
I guess I should give him credit for trying but if he did it on his own without the media present, he would not have looked like a boffoon. Can you imagine this guy elected to a higher office?
Miller would dearly love to get a higher office. He ran for House of Delegates recently if you recall. He spent most of his time wooing a particular ethnic group, visiting their churches, campaigning instead of worshiping there, not unlike many other Democrat candidates. Anyhow he got 38% of the vote.
I did not vote for him
Hmmmm, I wonder if my image link will work here.
Nope. didn’t work. 🙁
I too was amused at the newspaper article. It was like Miller was going to take matters in his own hands and fix everything. .I must say I do not accept the algae explanation however. Dan River has always had algae, it never tasted like this. I wish the water department would just admit they don’t know what is causing the bad taste, and bring in whatever it takes to figure it out.