You Know You Live near a Factory Farm When Your Kids Go Fishing with a Pool Skimmer

The lake has more warning signs than tourists

In New York State, as in many others, state and local government doesn’t attack the source of agricultural pollution, they attack the source of the complaint. If residents on and around the lakes are outraged at the situation, authorities gather “feedback,” and then exclude them from any further participation. If the people demand immediate action, authorities hold public meetings and seminars to explain how more data and studies [that will take years to perform and evaluate] are needed to get to the bottom of this complex situation. If residents complain that agricultural pollution is destroying their lake, authorities talk about how this kind of pollution is “natural occurring,” while carefully avoiding how much is unnaturally occurring. If the public has a clear perception of the role agricultural nutrient pollution in a lake’s impairment, authorities confuse the issue by substituting other culprits. New York bureaucrats are currently promoting zebra mussels in this way as a distraction. Mark Twain popularized the saying “There are three kinds of lies: lies, damn lies, and statistics.” — This is an excellent description of our government’s agricultural pollution cover up.