I enjoyed the contrast between these sentences

> Levees built on sands washed down from hydraulic mining are being eaten from the bottom. 140 year old decisions are active problems.

> They have bellies and they can drive heavy machinery and they make jokes about the enviros. ... they are not environmentalists.

And so the problems keep coming. Not because of "these guys" in particular, but the attitude displayed. We clearly see the effect of bad decisions that were expedient in the past causing problems now and at the same time we can not limit our own desire for expediency and convenience at the expense of our future.