Wednesday, April 2, 2008

On being conned

Yesterday I was more or less conned by traveling meat salesmen to buy what I really could not afford - a bunch o' steaks. Although I've been chastizing myself ever since, it made me think about my prevailing attitude that people should be smarter than to be taken in.

This morning I got this email containing a letter to the editor of the Daily News, from Jim Stiles (not posted on the daily's web site), about the Crow Lane landfill. I encourage everyone to read it and go to this link he provides to read and/or listen to phone messages left for Health Director Jack Morris by the landfill owner, or as Stiles puts it, "the nemesis Newburyport faces."

It's easy to blame past mayors, or even the current mayor, for allowing this situation to be created and for its continuance.

But whether you or someone buying potentially bad meat, a stinky landfill or anything else backed by vague information and half promises put forth by a seemingly trustful and/or charming individual, don't think it was necessarily out of stupidity.

The old con game has gone on for a long time. What are the lyrics to that old song? Oh yeah, "Smiling faces, smiling faces, sometimes ... they don't tell the truth. Smiling faces, smiling faces tell lies ... and I got the proof."

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