NY, Conn. lawmakers try to halt Plum Island sale

[hrmjustin]

By FRANK ELTMAN — Associated Press

MINEOLA, N.Y. — Some federal lawmakers want to stop the sale of New York's Plum Island, home to the only national government laboratory studying diseases harmful to livestock and other animals.

Congress voted in 2009 to close the aging lab and move operations to Kansas State University. President Barack Obama's latest budget includes $714 million for the project, and Kansas officials are selling bonds to pay for the new lab.

But lawmakers from New York and Connecticut announced legislation Tuesday to stop the sale, saying it is unnecessary and uneconomical, and the island lab is worth preserving.

"Plum Island is one of the natural treasures of the Northeast," said Rep. Timothy Bishop, a Democrat whose eastern Long Island district includes the island.

Read more at http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2013/07/15/3094296/ny-lawmaker-seeks-to-halt-sale.html

[PoliticAverse]

1. If by Natural treasure he means 'who knows what microbes are on that island

nobody should really be poking around there' I agree with him.

[hrmjustin]

2. I would not want to go near there myself.

[yourout]

3. Thanks to Plum island I am now fighting my second round of Lymes.

http://www.trutv.com/conspiracy/government-lies/plum-island/lyme-disease.html

[hrmjustin]

4. I am so sorry to hear this. How are you feeling?

[yourout]

5. Much better this week....took some prodding to convince my doc to get me on Doxycycline as the.....

Western Blot only showed one significant band reactive as I recognized it earlier.

I had it a few years ago without knowing it(neither time I got the bullsye) for several months.

Was constantly dizzy and tired and asked for the test after reading around. If I had not asked for the test I would probably still be sick as hell.

I am much more educated about Lymes than I care to be.

Scary thing is how little the average MD really knows about Lymes.

Nasty business.

[hrmjustin]

6. I wish you the best and i hope the medicine works.

[yourout]

7. Thanks!....It's no fun and the testing for it is not very accurate.

[TreasonousBastard]

9. I've had it twice, too-- both times undaignosed...

until the joint problems got to be too much. But, aside from my own immune system working, doxycycline knocked it right out when discovered.

I don't buy for a minute that crap about some skunk works over there letting germ warfare experiments out. Every couple of years some new scientist no one heard of before takes credit for inventing the bug way back in the Cold War days, but no one without a drug or drinking problem here in Southold buys it-- we all know too many people who work over there.

(My personal favorite was the drunk who told me in dead seriousness about the two-foot long mosquitos he saw buzzing around outside the Grumman works in Calverton.)

[hrmjustin]

10. I am so sorry to hear this. How are you feeling?

[TreasonousBastard]

12. Thanks, but I'm fine now. It was hell for a while...

since it was undiagnosed during the worst of it and I had horrible joint problems. They eventually went away with the disease and some physical therapy.

I'm left with one knee that still has a little swelling that has the rheumatologist puzzled, but methotrexate seems to be taking care of that.

AFAIK, now that Lyme is becoming well known (I heard something well over half of Shelter Island residents have had it) quick treatment seems to be getting the best of it for most people.

[hrmjustin]

14. I wish you the best and i hope the medicine works.

[TreasonousBastard]

8. I've been to a number of planning meetings on Plum Island-- some with Bishop...

and nothing's happening for a while. Best case, if the new lab gets funding (not guaranteed at all) is maybe 10 years it'll be built. Even then, the old lab just had major renovations and could be used for some kind of research.

Southold Town would have jurisdiction if the Feds give up ownership and is planning on zoning it's 800 or so acres into one ferry zone, one lab zone with the existing facilities, and the rest essentially a nature preserve.

Nothing, of course, is in any way assured, but this is the plan so far-- no condos or casinos on the island!

[hrmjustin]

11. We don't need anymore casinos.

[TreasonousBastard]

13. Nobody has said anything out loud, but the gorilla in the room is...

now that the Shinnecocks are a recognized tribe and can have a casino, they've been looking for a place to put one since the reservation is out for various reasons.

Personally, I think that with the Connecticut casinos having problems the idea is on indefinite hold, but I could see some Shinnecocks and their investors looking longingly at Plum Island as the perfect resort/casino location.

I think it's the perfect nature preserve, and a lot of people around here agree with me.

[hrmjustin]

15. A nature preserve is a great idea.