Here is a very interesting look at the waste industry and the how it relates to a communities demographics. I will take a moment to express my personal opinion about these matters. Almost daily, I hear from the TownLine Association, weopposetownlinerailterminal group and even the Smithtown news as they advocate “to just send our waste to facilities proposed or otherwise located in Central Islip, Brookhaven, Yaphank, Medford or Brentwood”.

I find it troubling how easy it rolls off the tongue without consideration of the impacts that our waste has and historically had on other communities, most of them being ‘disadvantaged’.

It is particularly curious to me how insensitive these groups can be. In a recent fund raising effort advertised by the Townline Association they have decided to hold a Golf outing to raise money to support their Townline rail Terminal opposition efforts. I would like to point out that the average household income of a golfer is $100,950.00 and the average net worth is $768,000.00. Hardly a disadvantaged group.

In my opinion, you could not pick a more privileged and tone deaf way to raise money to support opposition to a responsible waste management project. Especially when your core argument is to continue our historical blindness to dumping our waste in disadvantaged communities.

Instead local community groups should meet with project developers, government officials and all stakeholders and seek to find winning strategies to address issues of concern about the proposed project.

There would then be a distinct possibly that as a community we could make a difference on Long island by handling our own solid waste that our community creates .

If you oppose the terminal that is ok, but do it without pushing our waste into other communities. They have schools, residential neighborhoods and and children much like we do. The only difference between our communities and the other communities is that we can afford to play golf!

– Toby Carlson