[at-l] Kennebec Bridge

[ellen at clinic.net (Bob C.)]

Ah, Jimmie. Lets see if we can figure this out. We are all citizens of a great,
wise, and powerful country. We can criticize whatever we want, whoever we want,
especially when it involves the Appalachian Trail, which is almost all
government owned.

 I felt totally free, for instance in 1993, to criticize the maintenance of the
 trail in the PATC sections as I worked my way north. However, I didn't free
 comfortable criticizing how they made their trail maintenance decisions, since
 I didn't have a clue as to how they made such decisions.

 Being a liberal, I instinctively support volunteer decisions and resist those
 who criticize those decisions, especially in the absence of any evidence that
 the decision was wrong.

 TJ offered no such evidence. Just the disgruntled comments of those who felt
 discriminated against by the decision. Being a liberal, I instinctively support
 the little guy against the "big corporation."

 But being a rational human being (is that an oxymoron for a professed liberal?)
 and having met, talked with and listened to their discussion of the complexity
 of the Kennebec River ferry decision, I concluded that the MATC canoe ferry
 committee members had probably made the most rational decision possible, given
 the great unknowns.

 My objection came when TJ concluded, "I guess it's better to pay a corporation
$14,500 than to pay local hiker-friendly folks $8500." That may have been the
reason for the decision, though I doubt it, since I could quickly think of a
score of other possible reasons for the committee's decision.

My suggestion is that it is proper to criticize the service provided by
volunteers -- as I criticized PATC -- but it is not useful to criticize the
facts behind PATC decisions and MATC decisions without doing far more research
than TJ had given evidence of having done.

I urge everyone to watch the new  contractors. If they are slow, late, tip
hikers into the Kennebec flood waters, or do other bad things by all means
complain.

But with the season just beginning and with the limited knowledge that both I
and TJ and most others have on the details of the decision, it is unwise to
criticize that decision, quite yet.

Since he is both an engineer and a scientist, I'm sure Jim agrees. One should
explore all known facts, at least, before criticizing the decisions of those who
make decisions based on those facts. I would even argue that we should give even
greater flexibility, when the decision makers are volunteers dedicated to doing
their best for the trail.

For evermore, the trail will be a fragile institution, beset by bureaucrats
suspicious of relying on volunteers, and willing to usurp those volunteers on
any excuse. Those conservative/liberals among us who think volunteers can
overall do a better job than bureaucrats, should be leary of giving bureaucrats
excuses to displace our volunteers.

Weary