Wed
Aug 19 2009
01:18 am
The Fat Lady hasn't sung yet!
By: farmer leaf

I feel that as the person who kept "kicking the can down the road" in regards to the "bumper sticker campaign," it is time to give the concession speech. After weeks of voluminous discussion, we are looking at poll results that put "None of the Above"
far ahead with over double the votes of a distant second place entry which merely states the legal obvious. "TVA - Making their own rules since 1933."

The TVA charter gives them that legal right. That is why they have a board of directors; to steer policy wherever it needs to go. It should be to no one's surprise that they will always consider their own perceived best interests first. These are proud people, who honestly believe they are fighting to save the utility from literal and perceptual harm. And most importantly, they are good at what they do (regardless of what some of us may think), because they hardly even skipped a beat, only a slight stumble in the immediate aftermath of this calamitous event, in spite of negative international press coverage.

Having sponsored this bumper sticker idea to find a common theme around which the community could apply public, moral and legal pressure against Roane County's worst polluter, I believe the majority of the cast votes went to uncertainty of what to do next. A few other random votes expressed the (to me at least) justified outrage at having to have to endure the slow, agonizing aftermath of this (for many) life jarring event caused by TVA engineering arrogance that once again in their 76 year history, resulted in massive, foreseeable, catastrophic failure.

The question before the community is how do we effectively address this issue. My response would be that there is no one surefire way to do this, but rather a multi-layered approach that has some room for every strategy ranging from UMD protesters getting arrested by TVA, to a diverse composite CAG. Who knows where the weak spot is, if we don't push on all places? The place I sought to push from (bumper sticker) didn't seem to gain a lot of traction. The model I used didn't get the result that some of us expected.

A few people have since put out some good suggstions. Mr. bjohnson's post on another thread raising the matter of "turning out the bodies" (italics mine) with carpooling and / or a bus rental. That would help build community in a more basic way that all this cyber-jabber seems unable to truly do. Organizing people to show up for the TVA board meeting shows awareness of the benefits of using a tried and true tested tactic that always sends a clear message. HELLO-We are here!

It is time I now returned my focus to the farm, my full time day-job (which I thankfully kept). It now requires my full and complete focus as we gear up and engage in the harvest and our full teaching seminar schedule beginning in September. Our Annual Open House is yet to be announced, but will occur in mid-October. We also plan to hold an Earth-Day event here on the farm in April 2010. Be sure and check into our website for produce information and upcoming events at

(link...)

Thank you,
-farmer leaf

Don't give up yet

Submitted by onetahiti on August 19, 2009 - 5:54am.

Thank you Farmer Leaf for all your help so far! :) :) :)

I'm hoping we won't give up yet just because it's harvest season. Will someone else pick up Farmer Leaf's bumper sticker initiative? :)

As for bumper stickers, why not try again with "Restore Roane" and any others that have been since mentioned, plus the top winners from the previous try? :)

And, since the voting software is problematic, why not just have each person post his or her vote? :)

I would vote for "Restore Roane" or better yet "TVA: Restore Roane" if it were on the list.

I agree that "turning out the bodies" might help.

Will someone else step up now that it is harvest season? :)

-- OneTahiti

I agree, Leaf

Submitted by WhitesCreek on August 19, 2009 - 5:52am.

It was and is a worthy effort, I think we just didn't hit on the positive yet forcefull catch phrase. I could get behind something like "You promised! Restore Roane County, TVA" or any of the similar iterations. having seen first hand what a negative reaction the public has to the UMD skull and crossbones TVA sticker, I know the damage a bad message can do to a worthy cause.

And One T, you do plenty. Thanks, tons!

Whitescreek

Submitted by onetahiti on August 19, 2009 - 6:07am.

Thank you for the kind words. :) You're pretty helpful yourself on occasion. :)

Please, can you post more about the other bumper sticker you mentioned? What happened? This is the first I have heard of it. Perhaps, though, the story belongs in its own thread? I am just curious.

-- OneTahiti

UMD bumper stickers

Submitted by Johanne on August 19, 2009 - 8:17am.

March 9th, UMD had announced they would distribute free bumper stickers for locals of Swan Pond, and outsiders like myself could send $3 and get one by mail. Here's the link to the announcement:

(link...)

We sent the money, never got the bumper sticker. We would have stuck it on our car too! Will do the same with yours, if you ever decide to have one!

Thanks Farmer Leaf

Submitted by grasshopper on August 19, 2009 - 8:37am.

You did a great job! It was the rest of us who had a little dust in our thinking caps.

I would also like to see a bumper sticker that calls TVA out.

But the sticker has to be one people will actually place on their bumpers. I doubted too many Roane Countians would sport a bumper sticker that insinuates a "bad word"...Ash for A**.

Don't give up yet! And thanks again :)

farmer

Submitted by RICK on August 19, 2009 - 9:21am.

Your efforts will never go unnoticed. You fathered this idea. And whatever slogan that people decide on will be a direct response to your efforts. I hope you do not stop your efforts.

When you have the open house, count me in as being there. I enjoyed seeing what you are doing at the farm on my brief visit. I am curious to see more.

UMD and Bumper Stickers

Submitted by bswinford1 on August 19, 2009 - 12:07pm.

Hi Johanne,
I am so sorry that your sticker did not get to you. Please email or call me with your contact information and I would be happy to send you a few stickers and reimburse your money. bswinford1@yahoo.com or 865 689-2778

Dear Whitescreek,
I would like to clear up some confusion about UMD and bumpers stickers. UMD did NOT print the TVA skull and crossbones stickers. A local Roane county resident made these stickers and gave us a stack at a public meeting. So, if you are seeing these stickers in Roane County UMD did not put them up or distribute them. We have given some out in Knoxville at outreach and education events. I hope this clears up the confusion.

Thanks,
Bonnie

Bonnie,

Submitted by WhitesCreek on August 19, 2009 - 1:23pm.

UMD gave these stickers out at other events as well. The one that I saw the most obvious negative reaction at was the Congressional field hearing. I asked more than once that they be removed from tables I was in charge of, since these were sign up areas. A table was provided for other material.

The best way I can describe it is this: If person A flips off person B and person C sees this, who does person C think less of? Righteous anger must be channelled into constructive efforts. It's a lesson I continue to have to reinforce in my own work, so I understand the urge.

constructive efforts

Submitted by bswinford1 on August 19, 2009 - 8:43pm.

The meeting that you mentioned is where a local gave us the Skull and Crossbones stickers. I am sorry that you were upset by the stickers and I was not there so I don’t know who put them on what table.

I agree that "Righteous anger must be channeled into constructive efforts”. The mobilization for clean air event that UMD held this summer in front of the TVA building was a very positive event with music and a parade downtown and we put every effort into making our messaging about the future and what we what instead of what is wrong with the current system.
Thank you for the constructive dialogue.
Bonnie

UMD Bumper Stickers

Submitted by bswinford1 on August 19, 2009 - 12:11pm.

UMD does have a bumper sticker and it is white and grey and says “United Mountain Defense” with mountains in the background. If anyone in Roane County would like a UMD sticker please email or call and I would be happy to send one free of charge.
Bonnie Swinford
umdvolunteerhouse@yahoo.com
865 689-2778

Bumper Stickers

Submitted by mr.bjohnson on August 19, 2009 - 11:15pm.

Yeah ! I know I’m the guy that hasn’t been very supportive of this idea. But today I had a revelation during the thunder storm. I might have been struck by lighting. Who knows?

Here is my proposal which is most likely hair brain and if so tell me straight up. I can take it. However if it is so I got my inspiration from Farmer Leaf and the UPS store in Midtown so I’ll have company.

There is a new billboard in Midtown close to Patterson’s Appliances. All it says is “GOOGLE 5737”. When I saw it about a week ago I thought what the_____ does that mean. So when I got home I googled it and it was a sponsored link on google for the UPS store in Midtown. It got my attention.

The RCCAG group will be getting funds to set up their web site and to distribute information to the public. They come up with the “GOOGLE _______” message, have the bumper stickers printed and distributed free to the public and then they should have a lot of eyes on the message they want to get out. A few posters in the windows of area businesses would not hurt.

If it’s a sponsored link you pay for each hit and the keyword determines the price. If RCCAG contacted Google they may work a deal for a community action like this. Especially if they are properly impressed with the enormity of this disaster. There may be other methods.

Google Adwords can run up bills of 100's or 1000's of $/hour, +

Submitted by onetahiti on August 20, 2009 - 7:44am.

This method would also leave the community with the possibility of significant "click fraud" charges. All TVA or Big Coal would have to do to torpedo the project would be to arrange for thousands of clicks (or more). The Google Adwords budget would be gone through in a flash, leaving the expensive billboard useless.

I strongly recommend against a "Google _____" approach to anyone with an active opposition.

If folks want a billboard, sending folks to a website--not to Google!--would be a much more viable approach.

-- OneTahiti

For Onetahiti

Submitted by mr.bjohnson on August 20, 2009 - 8:19am.

Thanks. I had a feeling it wouldn't work.

I did not suggest using a billboard.

Is it legal, ethical, and/or would google block some tactic of community members positioning our keyword to the one of the top positions of a search for our keyword? Is there such a tactic?

Placing higher in free Google results

Submitted by onetahiti on August 20, 2009 - 9:33am.

"I am not an attorney." However, it is my understanding that there are indeed legal and ethical methods to encourage Google and other search engines to rate a website higher in the search results for a given keyword. There are also methods which, if used, can prompt Google to lower a site's ranking or even ban it from the results.

Of course there are no guarantees--Google is after all a private company free to change its policies and rankings anytime--but if a group of good character and purpose needs such assistance I can possibly volunteer useful tips and so-far proven advice from long experience, health permitting.

-- OneTahiti

For Onetahiti

Submitted by mr.bjohnson on August 20, 2009 - 12:38pm.

Thank you.

What is "social

Submitted by maryleen on September 8, 2009 - 4:23am.

What is "social engineering"? (Tennessee Valley Authority)? Also, how did the TVA provide for social engineering? I can not find this information anywhere, and have already looked through my text book. Thanks in advance.

Maryleen

Submitted by onetahiti on September 8, 2009 - 8:54am.

There are multiple meanings for "social engineering." See the disambiguation page on Wikipedia: (link...)

I don't know what kind of social engineering, if any, TVA is attempting. Do you have a reference that prompted your question? :)

-- OneTahiti

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