And while she's here in town, lets show her ALL of the rest of the area that could be cleaned up with national attention.
I'm sorry, but after years of watching how all of these Celebs or even celeb wanna be's have screwed up issues like animal rights, I have no respect for them at all. While I am not up on celebs and enviromental issues, I am on animal issues, specifically the horse industry. I have found them and their rarely researched platforms, do more damage then good. And often, as in the ag industry damage that is ten times more detrimental then what they perceived was their cause.
Personally I think they should stick to what they do best, being a
celebrity.
However, if they do choose to come, lets all show them "how us poor mountain folk really live"....... we can show em, some airborn pollutants from downtown Rockwood, maybe a junkyard or two.....heck I'm sure we can find lots for them to clean up and have a cause about while their here. The more I think about it, I say Bring it on! A little national attention to the area, is probably a good thing. Where can I sign up to be the tour guide?

You have to remember that Brockovich was a whistleblower who got hammered for doing the right thing. She's earned a pass and a fair listen.

Having said that, she will get to leave while the rest of us stay here and work on the problem in long term fashion. We can't be anybody's poster child for bad things. We need to be the poster child for turning a big damned mess into an awesome place to live and work.

... she's not here trolling for plaintiffs, she has a big New York law firm that just HAPPENS to be accompanying her.

In the interests of the full disclosure that all progressives yearn for, wonder precisely what her ties are with that law firm...

RB

when she fought PG&E. Any celebrity she achieved was earned. In the process she found that environmental activism is a worthy pursuit. Cut her some slack, maybe she can help. (Even if she doesn't look like Julia Roberts)

She did a good thing. (Randmart - I think she's a pretty good lookin lady whether she's Julia oberts or not!) No doubt. She became a hero.

She also became a marketable commodity and a celebrity. We have all seen times when such drastic changes have changed people, haven't we?

The article in the KNS said she wasn't coming here looking for plaintiffs. It also said she was being accompanied by lawyers from Weitz & Luxenberg, a big plaintiff's law firm in NYC that makes its bread and butter looking for people to sue. People with the deepest pockets. The law firm has a banner headline on its website proclaiming: "Erin Brockovich and the lawyers of Weitz & Luxenberg P.C. invite you to attend an important meeting next week to discuss the TVA coal ash spill. Details on location and date will be available shortly."

But she's not coming to Roane County trolling for plaintiffs.

Now maybe Ms Brockovich's visit to TN is completely altrusitic. She may not be here trying to make herself and/or the law firm some money. But her status, the status of the law firm, and what they do, is enough to make reasonable people ask a question or two.

Since Ms Brockovich HAS become a celebrity and a marketable commodity, it is possible, just possbile, she is here for more than purely altruistic reasons. While it is neither immoral nor illegal for her to have an association with environmental ambulance chasers, nor to make money from said association, it raises questions worth answering rather than just shrugging them off because she once did something heroic. Heros have clay feet just like the rest of us.

It is a bit duplicitous, to say the least, to say at one and the same time that you aren't coming to town to look for plaintiffs, but you are coming to town with a law firm that makes its living doing just that. And if Ms Brockovich is as totally altruistic as some would have us believe, it would significantly enhance her credibility if there was a clear and transparent revelation of the extent and nature of her relationship with that law firm, including ALL reasons for their collective trip to rural East Tennessee, now wouldn't it?

I surely don't see progressives opposing transparency and open disclosure, do I?

RB

that is very thinly disguised as an "informational" discussion of the spill. I emailed Brokovich this note on Thursday:

Erin: I am a resident, businessman and most recently an activist in Kingston Tennessee. Your pending visit here is being heralded as everything from a serious attempt to help to a higher form of ambulance chasing. I prefer to believe that your intentions are noble. The reason I am writing is to ask for some quiet assistance. A Kingston City Councilman (Brant Williams) and I are putting together a group of local businessmen and concerned(non government) citizens to brainstorm our situation with the goal of developing a wish list to present to TVA that will address long term issues. We realize that we have little input as to the cleanup technologies that will be employed but we do believe we can influence things like how our image will be repaired/protected and what TVA can do to make up for the mess they have created.

While TVA is seemingly doing everything possible to clean this up, our major concern is that once the spotlight is turned off, TVA will do whatever it takes to minimize additional costs. There will no doubt be any number of lawsuits that will come from this, but as you well know, those wheels turn slowly and there are no guarantees. Locally, TVA has been a fairly good corporate citizen and a surprising number of our citizens are convinced they will do the right thing.
Any advice or suggestions that you can offer as to dealing with the situation would be greatly appreciated and held in confidence.

On Friday I received a call from an associate environmentalist at the New York law firm of Weitz & Luxenberg. They are her east coast affiliate. In our conversation it was made quite clear that they were coming to make our legal options clear and that they would be prepared to quote us rates for their services. Several of their staff attorneys as well as an environmental chemist will accompany Brockovich. When I mentioned that it seemed premature to begin any sort of class action I was told "it's never to early". They have no interest in dispensing free advice and there is nothing altruistic involved. This is about $$$$. They are trying to find a venue large enough to accomodate the crowd they know they can draw. Roane State and the highschool gym were mentioned as possibilities. They are planning to run large ads in the RCN and KNS announcing the time and place.

In my earlier post I felt we should give Brokovich the benefit of the doubt. Boy, was I wrong....She is nothing but a shill!

The very last thing we need at this point is to turn the fate of Kingston over to the legal system. While TVA is here and seems willing to talk, we should engage them directly, face to face.

I differentiate between the entity and the good people who work there and are trying their best to fix this mess.

There are attorneys and there are attorneys. A seasoned attorney who specializes in environmental law is certainly welcome to come in and state a professional view of the situation in Roane County. I think we would be foolish not to listen, just as anyone who may have been economically damaged by this event would be absolutely stupid not to consult an attorney at some point in the compensation process. I view this as a chance to get a free consultation by very competent professionals.

Brockovich has a history of being a champion of the little guy against big corporations. Maybe TVA will continue to do the right thing, I hope so. But I want to hear what Erin Brockovich has to say. She has a wealth of experience that may be important to draw on.

Its OK to hold TVA accountable for this disaster. TVA will cover this up and sweep it under the rug if allowed too. You see Randmart RB should be on the TVA payroll. He obviously views TVA's opponents as destructive and greedy. RB sems to detest the ability of Erin Brockovich to turn misfortune into good fortune. I say she is brilliant and tough as nails. I welcome her and Weitz & Luxenberg with open arms. Like I said on this blog the day after this all happened..The TVA and local politicians will not represent our best interests, but trial lawyers will get to the bottom of this disaster and its ongoing cover-up. Those of us realists knew the trial lawyers were coming but we had no idea that a celebrity environmental champion was coming with them. Thank God!

The premise that Brockovich is an ambulance chaser looking for plaintiffs for her personal gain is laughable at best. Ohhh contrare...plaintiffs are looking for them. You see Randmart TVA brought this on themselves through their greed...not our greed. The day of reckoning is coming.

Clean coal is a dirty lie. This disaster has enlightened an old conservative like me. I used to view tree huggers with disgust and disdain. That was due to my ignorance. Now that this ecological disaster has happened in my back yard I am thankful that these tree hugger watchdog groups are paddling around in their conoes shooting video for us to watch on YouTube. I am thankful that they are bringing drinking water to needed residents. I am thankful that they are performing independent water testing. I am thankful that they are in town exposing the TVA cover-up. And on that day of reckoning I will be thankful for Brockovich and her legal team.

good luck but no one can tackle the coruption of roane county!no one!!! RB dont wory because its a right to work state! no one will help her that needs a job the politians will have them fired and removed.Ms Brockovich if your looking for help get some history before you get here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!