Harold Simmons, the Texas billionaire so lauded over the years for his success as a "self-made man," passed away December 28th, last. I offer my sympathy to his wife and family at their loss. I wish there was a way to write about Mr. Simmons without offending his family, but there just is not. Mr. Simmons chose to make the largest part of his fortune by "managing hazardous waste" around the nation, and with international operations as well. So many people expended many words in eulogy with regard to Mr. Simmons and his legacy. Articles were written extolling his business "savvy" and his rise from a humble pharmacy owner to one of the richest men in the world.
But what exactly is Mr. Simmons's legacy to us, the people, particularly the people of Texas? This great, self-made man started out in an admirable fashion, I have to admit. Being born into a relatively poor family, he managed to save a few thousand dollars, plus borrow another $95,000 dollars to start a pharmacy. Mr. Simmons clearly had business "savvy" because he grew his one pharmacy into a large chain which later sold for several million dollars. Nothing wrong here, and I have to give him credit where credit is due. But what happened to his conscience along the way, I have to wonder. He embodied the very spirit of capitalism, the fulfillment of the American dream, rags to riches, as they say.
Mr. Simmons had already created a legacy that would have made any family proud. But that was not good enough; he was not rich enough. And he was a great entrepreneur, as we have already seen. So with his millions, he bought a series of banks and watched his millions grow. He developed the technique known as the leveraged buyout and gained a great reputation as a corporate raider. Mr. Simmons was no "dummy" when it came to politics, either. He donated huge sums to conservative political action committees (PACs) as well as making large contributions to conservative politicians, mostly Republican, but some Democrats, too. In fact, Mr. Simmons found himself in difficulty for violating campaign donation limits on several occasions. His "buy-up" of several Texas legislators earned him a fine of a whopping $6,400. Ouch, I'm sure. Thus far Mr. Simmons's legacy was somewhat checkered, but still he could be viewed as a self-made man, an inspiration for young and ambitious capitalists.
Still looking to add to his billions, Mr. Simmons delved into an area of the economy at which most people would have turned up their noses, literally. Mr. Simmons saw the potential in buying hazardous waste. Whoa, I do no mean buying it, I mean letting people pay him to dump their hazardous waste at his dump grounds. Thus was born Waste Control Specialists. Having complete disregard for the people effected by the potential dangers of hazardous waste leaking into the ground and contaminating the water supply for those already in constant water shortage, Mr. Simmons moved ahead with his plan to build a hazardous waste disposal site in West Texas, incredibly right on top of the Ogallala Aquifer! Mr. Simmons went ahead with construction plans even though his company was not licensed for nuclear waste at the time. Well, that was no mystery, since he had already greased the right legislative wheels. I am sure there was little doubt that the site would be licensed. In fact the license was issued over state scientists' objections, but that is water under the bridge now.
No disrespect to Ms. Simmons and the Simmons children, but it is always incredulous to me that someone like Harold Simmons, a "make his millions...er, BILLIONS, everyone else be damned" kind of guy, is praised as a fine example of the ultimate American entrepreneur, and his "legacy" is enshrined by the paid-off politicians and other "leaders" who trip over their lips praising this man. His legacy? At least two waste sites in Texas (including the WCS site outside Andrews) that are already showing indications that radiation is leaking from the permanent man-made "barriers" and the natural geological formations that offered "permanent" materials containment. Remember, three Texas scientists produced a study that showed the Andrews WCS site "was built over an unstable and unsound" clay formation. When the Texas Committee on Environmental Quality ruled for WCS, these scientists immediately resigned from that agency in protest. Now waste is being trucked into Texas by the trainload, as well as by tractor-trailer rigs, from approximately thirty-six states so far, and I am sure that number will grow.
Those swooning over the philanthropies of Mr. Simmons will no doubt overlook the origins of their donations. Simmons millions were spread through numerous civic organizations, political action committees, worthy causes all over this nation and around the globe. Mr. Simmons even donated $5 million to Oprah Winfrey's girls' school in Africa. The causes and donation are too numerous to list here. But it is better that the recipients of the Simmons fortune don't examine too closely the source of their endowments. They might find the money glows in the dark, and that the people near WCS sites are reaping what Mr. Simmons sowed, in the form of contaminated land and soon-to-be undrinkable water.
Yes, Harold Simmons, the self-made billionaire, truly leaves us a great and large legacy. He has literally shaped the West Texas desert for centuries to come. He has truly left his mark upon this land, a mark that will render a large chunk of the Chihuahua Desert unfit for man or beast for time indeterminate. Thank you, Mr. Simmons. Your legacy will live on.
But what exactly is Mr. Simmons's legacy to us, the people, particularly the people of Texas? This great, self-made man started out in an admirable fashion, I have to admit. Being born into a relatively poor family, he managed to save a few thousand dollars, plus borrow another $95,000 dollars to start a pharmacy. Mr. Simmons clearly had business "savvy" because he grew his one pharmacy into a large chain which later sold for several million dollars. Nothing wrong here, and I have to give him credit where credit is due. But what happened to his conscience along the way, I have to wonder. He embodied the very spirit of capitalism, the fulfillment of the American dream, rags to riches, as they say.
Mr. Simmons had already created a legacy that would have made any family proud. But that was not good enough; he was not rich enough. And he was a great entrepreneur, as we have already seen. So with his millions, he bought a series of banks and watched his millions grow. He developed the technique known as the leveraged buyout and gained a great reputation as a corporate raider. Mr. Simmons was no "dummy" when it came to politics, either. He donated huge sums to conservative political action committees (PACs) as well as making large contributions to conservative politicians, mostly Republican, but some Democrats, too. In fact, Mr. Simmons found himself in difficulty for violating campaign donation limits on several occasions. His "buy-up" of several Texas legislators earned him a fine of a whopping $6,400. Ouch, I'm sure. Thus far Mr. Simmons's legacy was somewhat checkered, but still he could be viewed as a self-made man, an inspiration for young and ambitious capitalists.
Still looking to add to his billions, Mr. Simmons delved into an area of the economy at which most people would have turned up their noses, literally. Mr. Simmons saw the potential in buying hazardous waste. Whoa, I do no mean buying it, I mean letting people pay him to dump their hazardous waste at his dump grounds. Thus was born Waste Control Specialists. Having complete disregard for the people effected by the potential dangers of hazardous waste leaking into the ground and contaminating the water supply for those already in constant water shortage, Mr. Simmons moved ahead with his plan to build a hazardous waste disposal site in West Texas, incredibly right on top of the Ogallala Aquifer! Mr. Simmons went ahead with construction plans even though his company was not licensed for nuclear waste at the time. Well, that was no mystery, since he had already greased the right legislative wheels. I am sure there was little doubt that the site would be licensed. In fact the license was issued over state scientists' objections, but that is water under the bridge now.
No disrespect to Ms. Simmons and the Simmons children, but it is always incredulous to me that someone like Harold Simmons, a "make his millions...er, BILLIONS, everyone else be damned" kind of guy, is praised as a fine example of the ultimate American entrepreneur, and his "legacy" is enshrined by the paid-off politicians and other "leaders" who trip over their lips praising this man. His legacy? At least two waste sites in Texas (including the WCS site outside Andrews) that are already showing indications that radiation is leaking from the permanent man-made "barriers" and the natural geological formations that offered "permanent" materials containment. Remember, three Texas scientists produced a study that showed the Andrews WCS site "was built over an unstable and unsound" clay formation. When the Texas Committee on Environmental Quality ruled for WCS, these scientists immediately resigned from that agency in protest. Now waste is being trucked into Texas by the trainload, as well as by tractor-trailer rigs, from approximately thirty-six states so far, and I am sure that number will grow.
Those swooning over the philanthropies of Mr. Simmons will no doubt overlook the origins of their donations. Simmons millions were spread through numerous civic organizations, political action committees, worthy causes all over this nation and around the globe. Mr. Simmons even donated $5 million to Oprah Winfrey's girls' school in Africa. The causes and donation are too numerous to list here. But it is better that the recipients of the Simmons fortune don't examine too closely the source of their endowments. They might find the money glows in the dark, and that the people near WCS sites are reaping what Mr. Simmons sowed, in the form of contaminated land and soon-to-be undrinkable water.
Yes, Harold Simmons, the self-made billionaire, truly leaves us a great and large legacy. He has literally shaped the West Texas desert for centuries to come. He has truly left his mark upon this land, a mark that will render a large chunk of the Chihuahua Desert unfit for man or beast for time indeterminate. Thank you, Mr. Simmons. Your legacy will live on.
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