Clean Air Coalition and the legacy of P.T. Barnum

If you heard the words "There’s a sucker born every minute," the first person you’d probably think of is P.T. Barnum, the American showman of the last half of the 19^th century known for his celebrated hoaxes and as the founder of the Barnum & Bailey Circus.

Which is a shame, because there is absolutely no proof whatsoever that Barnum ever uttered those words. In fact, according to Barnum biographer Arthur H. Saxon "There's no contemporary account of it, or even any suggestion that the word 'sucker' was used in the derogatory sense in his day. Barnum was just not the type to disparage his patrons."

The first account I came across of anyone using this term was when I read Herbert Asbury’s book Gem of the Prairie: Underworld. In the book Asbury describes a time in the late 1860s when saloon/gambling house proprietor and Chicago politician Michael Cassius McDonald was equipping his latest gambling establishment, known simply as "The Store," and his partner, Harry Lawrence, expressed concern about all the roulette tables McDonald was putting in the place. Lawrence felt there might not be enough gamblers willing to come to The Store to play at all them. According to Asbury, McDonald told Lawrence "Don't worry about that, there's a sucker born every minute."

What’s important, I guess, is the veracity of the statement, not especially who it is attributed to.

I was reminded of that — the statement’s veracity — when I looked over Wednesday’s City Council Agenda and noticed that council member Travis Mitchell was bringing back the idea of the city joining CAPCOG’s Clean Air Coalition, a move that was defeated at the last council session Aug. 2.

Hey, I have absolutely nothing against the Clean Air Coalition but to anyone who thinks, for even one second, that group will accomplish one single thing to significantly improve air quality in the area, here’s my response:

"Don't worry about that, there's a sucker born every minute."

The original push for joining the Clean Air Coalition came from those citizens concerned about the possibility of a giant truck stop being located at I-35 and Yarrington Road, as though the coalition could actually do anything to prevent the construction of that facility. But I’m guessing the reasoning behind the push was if the city was a member of the coalition and the coalition went on record as saying such a truck stop would have had a detrimental effect on air quality in that area (which the coalition wouldn’t have) it would make it more difficult for the city, as a member of the coalition, to push for the truck stop construction.

Hey,as crazy as that sounds, there are those whose minds actually work that way.

There is only one way any local entity or coalition of local entities can significantly reduce vehicular air pollution and that is to significantly reduce the number of vehicles causing that pollution from the roadways. And the Clean Air Coalition is not focusing any of its energies into reducing the number of vehicles on our region’s roads. Nothing. Nada. Zero. Zilch.

Not only that, but mandates enacted by the EPA have done more than any local coalition could envision accomplishing, by forcing automobile manufacturers to produce more fuel efficient vehicles for our nation’s highways. EPA mandates alone resulted in the Dallas-Fort Worth area being removed recently from non-attainment status.

Is there more that could be done? Certainly, but Kyle wouldn’t have to join the Clean Air Coalition to accomplish them. For example, if it was serious about air quality, the city would put forth a policy requiring its entire motorized fleet to be composed of CNG vehicles. It could mandate that any city owned/operated facility currently under consideration be LEEDs certified and it would mandate LEEDs certification standards on all developments within the city’s jurisdiction.

However, is there a real downside to joining the coalition? Not really, as long as no city funds are allocated for membership, no city funds are ever earmarked for the coalition for any purpose and no one expects the coalition to help improve air quality in Kyle.

On the other side of that coin, Is there any upside to joining the coalition? Yes, it’s good PR. It puts the city on record as being on the politically correct side of air quality debate. It’s like one of those resolutions the council routinely passes honoring one or more "fallen heroes." They accomplish nothing in terms of altering the course of human events, but it gives council members an opportunity to feel really good about themselves. It puts them on record as being on the side of "the good guys."