[at-l] Maine AT report

[spiriteagle99 at hotmail.com (Jim and/or Ginny Owen)]

Bob C. ellen at clinic.net wrote:
>>"...The contract was awarded to NEOC, who bid thousands more than the 
>>locals.
>>$6000 is a lot of money, equivalent to the entire annual dues of over 100
>>members. --- It's time to build a footbridge over the Kennebec. Let's just 
>>hope
>>the MATC  isn't involved in deciding who gets the contract." argues TJ.

Hmmm - the only one I see arguing is you.  TJ stated the facts as he saw 
them - and you started arguing - even though, by your own admission, you 
have no more facts than he does.

>Hmmm. I wonder who TJ thinks ought to be involved in deciding who gets the
>contract. He rejects the group that built and has maintained the trail for 
>seven
>decades plus.

He didn't "reject the group" at all - he questioned the decision.  And, 
given the available facts, he had good reason to do so.  If a government 
contract were let with that kind of price differential you'd better believe 
it would be questioned from at least six different directions. Why should 
this decision NOT be questioned?


>This truly is a silly argument. TJ knows two things. The name and amount of 
>the
>successful trail ferry bidder. And comments by disgruntled losers. Neither 
>he
>nor I have been involved in the intense negotiations among the various
>competitors. Nor are we privy to the comments and recommendations of ATC, 
>which
>nominally provides the money, nor, the National Park Service, which 
>actually
>provides most of the money.

Once again - specifically what is your argument with what TJ said?  Unless 
you have more facts than he does, you're just blowin' smoke and wasting 
bandwidth.  You're right - it's a silly argument - why are you keeping it 
going?


>We differ in that I have been involved with MATC for three decades, have
>watched their judgments, heard and responded to their pleas for volunteers, 
>and
>have learned to trust their collective wisdom.

In other words --- "Trust me"  --- or in this case - "Trust the MATC"?  Hmm 
- would you buy a used car from MATC?  :-)

Now - since you're involved with MATC, why don't you try to get the actual 
rationale for their decision before you start blowin' sunshine in my ear?


Incidentally - don't wax too poetic about MATC - you said:
>I forget the precise figures but something like 1,000 volunteers devoted 
>more
>than 20,000 hours to the trail last year. Though we are among the smaller 
>of
>the maintaining clubs, and among the few with long trail sections (12 
>percent
>of the entire AT) without a paid staff, no group devoted  more volunteers 
>hours
>than did MATC.

KTA (Keystone Trails Association) operates with a lot fewer than 1,000 
volunteers, maintains over 2,000 miles of trail and logged over 30,000 hours 
last year.  Yeah - I know - that's not on the AT.  But without all those 
miles of "other" trails, the AT would be nothing but a deep rut from all the 
boots that would be pounding it to dust.

Walk softly,
Jim

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