Hope (Less)

I began chatting with the young cashier at Safeway today about the mine. He said he used to do shift work at the mine in Miami but 'it was really hard work' and he seemed happier to have his current position in the supermarket. I agreed and said it must be really hard work. Yes, he nodded, but they paid really well. Still... it was hard.

I asked him if he was aware of what might be going on with the Resolution Mine down in Superior. His face turned somber. Yes, he was. His dad worked for an independent contractor company that was doing business with Resolution. He was afraid he would lose his job in March. I told him I was sorry, but that's essentially what I'd been hearing too. I wished him luck and took my leave.

Now, really... who's to blame here? Is it the lawmakers back in Washington dithering around with every other conceivable thing to do with the land swap bill that can't see they are messing around with people's peace of mind in this area of Arizona? Is it Resolution Copper's fault that they swooped into this community like the copper-clad saviors they professed to be and plunked Big Money into the area and awarded and promised jobs but now appear to be withdrawing that support and money because they aren't getting what they wanted? Is it the workers' faults for holding onto Hope that this company would give them a good job and a secure future and they could keep their families in the area they love and provide well for them?

I don't know. Maybe nobody. Maybe everybody. Resolution did pony up a hundred and five million and got the ball rolling. They provided jobs to lots of folks who didn't have them before. They never 'guaranteed' how long the jobs would last, just that the jobs were there, for a time at least. The government never promised they'd agree to the Land Swap deal with a foreign entity, even if it meant Big Money for the federal government. When they found out what a ruckus it was causing with the Native Americans and the withdrawal of previous promises from President Eisenhower that this sacred piece of mountain would not be touched, maybe they don't want to get involved any longer. The workers who left their old jobs that maybe didn't pay as well for new opportunities that might hold up and allow them to get ahead. Isn't that the right of the American taxpayer to have a job that will allow him to live comfortably now and put away something extra for his old age?

But somewhere around here in this Mine-Mess, hope is leaking out and running down the creek. Resolution sees it happening. The workers who currently (at least until March) have jobs with Resolution see it happening. And pardon me, but I don't think they really have a clue about Hope in Washington. But it's running away from them too.