Political Opposites Unite to Form Pro-Fracking Group in NY
The 70,000-member Joint Landowners Coalition of New York (JLCNY), along with the Broome County Farm Bureau and several Southern Tier labor unions formed a new group (perhaps confederation is a better word) yesterday called Southern Tier Residents for Economic Independence. The new group illustrates how the fracking issue unites groups of people that often are on opposite sides of the political spectrum. Many labor unions are pro-fracking, a little-known secret anti-drilling “environmentalist” groups like to hide since labor unions usually swing Democrat/Liberal with their voting block. The fact that unions are defecting to “the other side” on this issue is causing heartburn inside anti-fracking central–places like Citizen Action of New York and the Park Foundation. Such anti-drilling groups haughtily believe they “own” the labor unions. Problem is, rank and file union members didn’t get that particular memo.
Here’s the story of people with different political philosophies reaching across the isle for a righteous cause–shale drilling in NY…
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What do you call it when a company pays money to local organizations and agencies before the project has been fully approved by federal, state and local agencies? These payments, mind you, are not fees for permits or licenses, but voluntary chunks of money offered to groups that may be affected by the project if it’s built–in this case a pipeline. Is it called, Good corporate citizenship? Being a responsible member of the local community? Or perhaps, payola?
As hard as it is to believe, New York’s Attorney General continues to work against his own constituents. We’ve known since his election that Democrat Eric Schneiderman is anti-drilling–what we didn’t know was was how much of an activist he would be, using his office to further his own distorted views on oil and gas drilling. He’s misused the power of the subpoena to go after drillers (see 
Today the 70,000 members of the Joint Landowners Coalition of New York (JLCNY) will finally launched their legal offensive against a recalcitrant governor, commissioner of the DEC, and the state health commissioner. D-Day will, of course, forever be associated with the first day of the World War II Allied Forces landing on the beaches of Normandy, France–June 6, 1944. We are in no way comparing the current action by the JLCNY with that momentous day which included incredible sacrifices by brave American (and other country’s) troops. However, D-Day is also a generic military term that means the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. It is in that sense we say that today is legal D-Day for the JLCNY and pro-drilling landowners. This IS a battle, it IS important with incredibly high stakes, and it does seem as though the odds are stacked against us. However, we have our own allied legal forces and we, as pro-drilling landowners in New York, are determined to win. And win we will!
The latest statewide Quinnipiac University poll of New York residents finds a majority of NYers believe Cuomo is indecisive–that is, he’s intentionally dragging his feet on making a decision about whether or not to allow shale drilling in the state. A smaller percent still buy his line about “carefully evaluating” the situation. Translation: There are 32% of us living in NY (who don’t smoke pot) who know that nearly 6 years is long enough for a decision to be made. We can see through the transparently pathetic attempt at stalling for political purposes. Some 23% think Andy’s jest bein’ xtra careful (that’s the hippie greenies). Then there’s the 42% who don’t have an opinion either way–yet. Our best hope is to swing those people to the truth side of the debate.