Helter smelter! Mike Mazzei was against a smelter at Inola before he was for it!
What changed?
It’s simple: Donald Trump endorsed Mazzei for governor and Mazzei, in turn, endorsed Trump’s smelter.
Making aluminum is an expensive, dirty and polluting process. Trump knows many Republican officials are just patsies for what he wants to do in our state and he found a prominent one in the person of Mike Mazzei, candidate for governor.
How else to explain the 180-degree turn done by Mike within several days of receiving the coveted Trump Thumbs Up on his current campaign?
There is no other explanation than pure, political quid pro quo; a smelter for Inola, maybe the governor’s gig for malleable Mike.
So who are the winners in this stinky sleight of hand?
Winners: 1. The foreign owner of the facility who has already received $725 million in state and federal handouts; 2. The few Inola area citizens who are for it; 3. The bond buyers who will make investments and then profits to construct the massive facility; 4. Users of aluminum; and 5. Those who are selected for an undetermined number of permanent jobs.
And who are the losers should Oklahoma be the location for the manufacturing operation? 1. NIMBYS anywhere, of course; 2. The environment, especially air and soil; and 3. Iindirectly citizens who believe politicians are generally for sale to the highest bidder.
Look, I know politics ain’t beanbag and compromises are part of the game to get things done. In the case of this facility – to build or not to build – either the data supports proceeding or it doesn’t. That hasn’t changed.
What did was an endorsement by a president for a candidate who wants to run our government for the next four years.
The aluminum plant will produce unpleasant smells. So does Mazzei’s flip flop on the matter.
