The Gadfly is a series of letters offering commentary on local issues and published in the Warrensburg Gazette.

NIMBY. That means "Not In My Back Yard" and it's the cry of those who "got there first." They like their town or bit of country just like it is and don't want any changes except those they approve of. What distinguishes NIMBY folks from others who’d just as soon not have their area changed is that NIMBY folks will use whatever political means available to get their way. We seem to have a lot of NIMBY folks around here. In Warrensburg, NIMBYs have stopped a skeet and trap range at Pertle Springs, a subdivision near Spring Ridge, and a tower near CMSU. They stopped a group home near Northfield (this one, at least, had a good outcome, as it led to the exposure of Board of Services problems and eventual tax-saving reorganization and reform).

In the western part of the county, people have been less successful because they don’t have zoning laws to allow them to control their neighbors' property. They unsuccessfully yelled "NIMBY" over the electric co-op's peak-power plant north of Holden – I guess they thought country folks don’t need air conditioning when it's 100 degrees out. They also opposed building the private prison, the same one they're now saying should be used to house county prisoners in lieu of building a new jail. NIMBYs have furnished the paid and organized opposition to the new jail proposal we voted on a few days ago. They agreed that a new jail was needed, but they want it in someone else’s back yard.

My opinion: if you want to control what's in your back yard, buy the property.