The Phony Environmentalism of Keith Honeycutt

So there was Watauga County Commissioner Keith Honeycutt, making like a committed environmentalist in Blowing Rock last week, showing off for a bunch of rich people concerned that the Forest Service was going to ruin their gorge views by clear-cutting the woods. According to an eye-witness, Honeycutt "beamed when the crowd burst into applause" over his self-serving and empty rhetoric.

We're against the Forest Service "forest management" plan in The Globe too. The difference is that we don't say we're against it only because it's an election year. We're not a public official with a lousy environmental record up for reelection.

Honeycutt's REAL environmental record:

1. Honeycutt was bitterly opposed to the state designation of the Doc & Merle Watson Scenic Byway. He publicly advocated for billboards on that highway. But then, in 2002 he also accepted a large donation from the out-of-state owner of a major billboard advertising company. He let his bread get buttered by billboards.

2. Honeycutt campaigned hard against the proposed Watauga County Polluting Industries Ordinance in 2002, and he personally saw to it that the right of the citizens to be heard in opposing the siting of high-impact industries was cut out of the subsequent weakened ordinance. Honeycutt did not want a "conditional use permitting process" in Watauga County, which means if you find out about as asphalt plant going up near you, it'll be by accident.

3. Honeycutt was the lone vote against the junked car ordinance in January 2004, even though this ordinance actually weakened existing enforcement mechanisms against solid waste in Watauga County.

4. In February 2005 Honeycutt voted against a resolution supporting North Carolina's clean air standards and opposing any federal attempt to weaken emissions coming into North Carolina from other states.

Does Mr. Honeycutt think people won't notice the hypocrisy? When it comes to "environmentalism" he goes for the easy stuff ... showing up on a Saturday morning to pick up some trash with a local trash-picking-up group or posturing about million-dollar views.

To borrow a phrase used to describe Honeycutt's hero, he's all hat and no cattle.