Mum’s the wordsmith

Evidently, Asheville City Council member and Congressional candidate Carl Mumpower has coined a new term. There is no entry for “envirojacker” listed in the American Heritage Dictionary, but it seems as if the phrase is meant as a hybrid term: “environmentalist + hijacker.” 

Then again, the phrase “envirojacker,” which combines “environment” and “jack,” could have potential as a slang term among environmentalists. As in, those “envirojackers” have totally jacked the landscape with their coal mine, and they’ve done jack to clean up the pollution.

In any case, Mumpower uses the phrase in this context: “In contrast to Congressman [Heath] Shuler’s position on the North Shore road, I do not believe that the passage of time, surrender to envirojackers, or indulging Tennessee’s special interests are an authentic foundation for abandoning our word on this federal promise.” Below, the text of a release from Mumpower in which he states his position on the North Shore Road controversy.

Can you use “envirojacker” in a sentence?

— Rebecca Bowe, contributing editor

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BEGIN PRESS RELEASE

Tuesday, October 3, 2007

Candidate Takes Position on North Shore Road

The National Park Service and the Federal Highway Administration released their final environmental impact study on Tuesday calling for a cash settlement in lieu of building the North Shore Road.  Republican challenger for the 11th Congressional seat, Carl Mumpower, has taken an early position against compromising on long standing federal commitments to build the road.  “In contrast to Congressman Shuler’s position on the North Shore road, I do not believe that the passage of time, surrender to envirojackers, or indulging Tennessee’s special interests are an authentic foundation for abandoning our word on this federal promise.”  “The efforts by officials to site the waste and risks associated with building the North Shore Road have a lack of authenticity when most folks know the real “Road to Nowhere” runs to the doorstep of Capitol Hill.”

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29 thoughts on “Mum’s the wordsmith

  1. Our government PROMISED this road in the 1940s to people it meant a lot to after taking their land and forcing them to move (research how the land for places like Fontana and the Great Smoky National Park was acquired.

    The government should keep its promise. Period.

  2. jason

    Envirojacker eh? Say this in Asheville a few more times; good luck winning a seat!

  3. hmmm… don’t know about using it in a sentence, but here ’tis in a limerick:

    A young lady slacker
    got drunk on corn lacker.
    She zigged when she shoulda zagged
    and by a Yankee fella was tagged
    and soon had a little envirojacker!

  4. Critics do
    my meter pooh.
    I say
    well hey,
    shoo you, too.

    ;-)

    Actually, I’ve never been known as a poet. My philosophy is if 10 words flow in rhyme most prime and meter that does not teeter, then lay about 80,000 more on them and call it a book.

    THAT’s what I do for a living.

  5. Gordon Smith

    Envirojackers jack
    Mumpower’s talking smack
    Inventing words
    You’ve never heard
    When he isn’t stealing crack.

  6. He’s polite, not a terrorist, Zen.

    Unlike many politicians (who only get within five letters of ‘polite’ and miss ‘I can’ because of their extra ‘I’ (work it out if you do not immediately understand) — Carl Mumpower has more integrity in his smile than most office seekers in their entire corpulent, bellies up to the public trough bodies.

    I’ve known Carl for years, I endorse his candidacy for Congress, I will vote for him, and I look forward to his service to our glorious mountains here in the Eleventh District.

    And also, I might point out, unlike many public officials seem to think, ‘polite’ is not ‘po’ and ‘lite’ … we have too many poor performers and lightweight idiots claiming to serve but mostly only swerving.

    Mumpower. ’08. End the hate.

  7. the henge

    Since when has the government kept its word ,just ask a native american!Mr Mumpower has no interest in this subject except to follow his leader mr bush in destroying what land he can in hopes of making money from it because they do not have the heart or soul to save this land for future generations,these are the same people that lied about the war and has continued to lie about the results of that previous lie so remember that when you VOTE and help push out and keep them out of office .We as americans need to stand up against their arrogant ways and listen to our hearts not our wallets and help preserve our freedom and our precious natural resources and not waste money on a road to nowhere,so the question remanes can you trust the government to keep its word ,especially the ones against our environment,NO NO NO VOTE against this environmental nightmare before they lie and destoy more of our precious mountains

  8. But, henge, it’s NOT a road to nowhere… it’s a road to the ‘North Shore’ of Fontana and to the family cemeteries there. You see, there were towns and farms there whose people (some of them my relatives) were forcefully removed by the government in order to build Fontana Dam and have a place for the water behind it.

    The government, in both guilt and restitution promised these folk a road back to the North Shore and built about eight miles or so of it (I’ve driven it more than once).

    The government is honorbound to complete the road… and don’t talk to be about destroying mountains, have you ever SEEN Fontana? It covers up a lot of good mountain territory.

    Know history before you so quickly condemn things.

  9. jwest

    the road should be built because 1)the gov. promised it and 2)that family cemeteries, long forgotten and neglected, can be “accessed”… are you serious mr. roberts??? would you support relocating those cemeteries to make way for the gated communities and private golf courses that would be sure to follow. would accessing this area best benefit the residents of swain county, or provide huge profits to its developers. the road must first be logged, right? where would that money go but into the pockets on the GOV? it must be graded and paved, correct? other than selling of lots, wheres the money come from? Sir i would like to remind you that this area is national park paid for by its citizens, has access, and has more vistors each year than any other in the country! I would also like to remind you that the area in question has long be accessible via trail along the ridges of cliggmans dome, and by boat. If visting your long lost relatives is so important to you, not that you have any real interest in doing so, i suggest you get off you butt and go do it! this
    “protected” area, mr. roberts, is special due to the fact that its difficult to get to. it should continue to be protected, and not made easily accessible to “spotsman” and every Smokies vistior that has a rascal!
    –I’d like to see how closely you are related to the folks in those cemeteries. Heck, we might be kin!

  10. Jwest;

    Mr Roberts wouldn’t have knowledge of access to said graveyard because he has never actually tried to visit them, would be my guess. Just another of his attempts to styleize himself as a good ol country boy teaching all the silly liberals how it really is here in Buncombe County.

  11. Appaholic

    The fact that this issue is still being discussed is shocking to me. Mumpower just lost my vote…..I believe it is inexcusable to justify this project based upon the a hndful of family member’s wanting to visit cemetaries. They currently have access via hiking trails and ferry service provided by the park service. The selfishness being displayed by certain residents is appalling….the government made a promise to the residents before it knew all of the facts regarding construction of this road. To continue to build this road in light of new revelations is irresponsible. Mumpower is doing nothing whoring himself out for votes with this issue.

  12. paul

    If Dr. Mumpower really wants to make the federal government keep its promises he needs to advocate the removal of all roads in the Smokies and the return of the land back to the Cherokee in the condition in which we found it.

    If he wants to deal with reality he should recognize that anyone who wants access to the north shore graveyards already has it at a fraction of the cost of the road.

    Like many republican conservatives Dr. Mumpower seems to have no apprecitation of the value of wilderness, but the hundreds of millions that the road would cost should give him pause.

    Could it be that, like many other “conservative” republicans, that he is really in favor of putting money in the pockets of business interests at the expense of the average taxpayer? We all know that the graveyard argument is just the sheepskin on the back of the wolf called development.

  13. amazed

    Isn`t this the same guy from the fifties who tried to round up all the commies, and said it would be better for america. Mccartherism is his style and racism is his ticket good for the rich and to heck with all the rest

  14. There are two forms of McCartherism [sic]: one is the belief that a man with a corncob pipe will return. The other is the belief that if anything goes wrong in your life, listening to Richard Harris’ original recording of “McCarther [sic] Park” on repeat for three hours will make it all better.

    Someone left the cake out in the rain. I don’t think that I can take it…

  15. Nam Vet

    I admire Carl Mumpower for having the courage of his convictions, many of which I agree with. I part company with him over development, particularly the Ellington. But the man has guts. He speaks straight from his heart, which is rare in politics.

  16. Sharon

    IRT Nam Vet

    Guts? ALL politicians preach and scream what the people want to hear (“No New Taxes” ring any bells). Since when is it gutsy to hide behind empty words?

  17. Nam Vet

    Sharon you are projecting your “progressive” politician’s sins on Carl. He speaks, he attempts to do what he says. I admire that. It takes guts to stick up for his ideals against the Fab Four socialists. This is unusual courage and I applaud it. Of course he is a fellow Viet Nam combat vet. That counts for a lot. A lot of his opposition are whining ingrates who have no idea how good we have it in this country. This group probably includes YOU.

  18. travelah

    Ralph,
    Ask yourself if the road is really needed. I realize promises were made but isn’t the reality actually that it will open up the lake to north shore access for the fishing folks? Now, I’m not opposed to it but thats a steep price for a paved ride to the power boat launch. How many decades have people been crossing the lake to get to the Cemetery?

  19. Nam Vet

    Sharon, what makes Carl different is he walks his talk. This is rare in politics and this is why I admire his courage. I guess you are used to hypocritical progressives who talk one way but vote and live another way. Think “Ellington” here.

  20. tavelah, if you are saying the government’s word is not worth cold spit… well, you are probably right. Put it in the context of our mountain culture and especially the culture in Swain County in the 30s and 40s–a promise MEANT something.

  21. travelah

    Ralph, I agree with you yet at the same time, a road needed 75 years ago doesn’t necessarily stand as a need today. I guess my question would be is this good stewardship of our monetary resources to build a road on the north shore of Fontana?

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