Inside Tucson Business dot com is taking a poll in which people can vote yes or no on supporting the Rosemont mine and leave a comment. The Rosemont Mine is not the proposed mine in the Patagonia Mountains that I’ve written about before. Rosemont (lovely name for such an ugly thing) is one proposed by the same Canadian businesspeople for mining copper in the Santa Rita Mountains that stand majestically between Tucson and Patagonia. I, as you would guess, voted NO and wrote the following comment.
I STRONGLY OPPOSE the Rosemont mine. Some say Arizona has a “rich history” of mines. Well, the riches did not go to the workers, that’s for sure. They historically went to the already rich owners, and in the case of Rosemont the owners are not even Americans. They will take our rich heritage and on balance contribute nothing to the city of Tucson. Look at the slag heaps to the west of I-19 if you want to see how ugly the Santa Ritas will look from Hwy 83 after the mine dumps its waste onto our public lands. Right now that is a beautiful scenic drive, but the mine will destroy that beauty. And make no mistake, beauty brings money and jobs far into our future, not just for the short period until the copper is gone. Tourism is a major contributor to the economy of southern Arizona. Tourists do not hike on slag heaps, take motorcycle trips past waste dumps, or drive along un-scenic highways menaced by huge trucks carrying toxic chemicals. Wake up Tucsonans and everyone in southern Arizona. Protect your heritage. Work against the Rosemont mine. We will have to work hard for our rights to our public lands, because the Forest Service is not doing it for us.
Comments on: "Against the Rosemont Mine" (2)
Well written!
Couldn’t have said it better myself!