A
massive private profit export pipeline is ginning up a dubious case for
“eminent domain” claiming an energy crisis in the Northeast, proposing
massive land takings all across Southern New Hampshire. (as well as NY
and MA) These pipelines are metastasizing anywhere there is route to a
coast and many states are under siege. In the Northeast this is one of
many pipelines seeking eminent domain takings.
This
pipeline proposed for Southern New Hampshire has been opposed by
overwhelming numbers of communities and their citizens all along this
region, and in town votes through three states. Trump didn’t win hearts
when he crowed about how great “eminent domain” is. And when Bush
jumped in to “champion the people” with the little touching story of
little old ladies tossed out of their homes for Trump development plans,
on phony eminent domain arguments, he also stepped on his petard. The
backer of Bush’s campaign is none other than the (former Enron) owner of
this pipeline company, Richard Kinder: Kinder Morgan, a “huge” funder
of Bush, and even Bush’s brother’s presidency back in this man’s ENRON
days.
This latter fact has
been all over the internet in this region since the primaries began: so
Bush, in his attempt to “differentiate” himself from Trump, stepped in
his own waste. In fact Bush’s backer is advocating much worse, which I
will describe more fully in a moment. Peas in the rotting pod.
Meanwhile,
here are some other observations on the Democratic side of the
Primaries hereabouts: Jean Shaheen who is a corporate Democrat
supporting TPP has completely ignored this section of the state, and has
been consistently and completely unresponsive to Democratic voters, as
well as other constituents in Southern New Hampshire, in any aspect of
this pipeline concern. And a lot of these folks are those who pounded
the pavement to help her attain office, and now feel completely
disgusted with her betrayal, indifference and hypocrisy. This has been
going on for well over a year. The term “crickets” doesn’t begin to
cover it.
She isn’t doing
Clinton any favors in this area with her endorsement: just showing how
indifferent and cold the party leadership is to the folks who have been
supporters for years! These are vast land takings in three states (NY,
MA, and NH) to connecting points in Southern Main and Eastern Coastal MA
en route to the Canadian Maritime.
This
massive pipeline is a class I (lowest safety), and the company is
making a real point of locating it in the most concentrated population
centers in rural areas, right through public drinking water supplies and
massive takings of pristine conservation land. It makes a point of
running through population centers in communities and peoples homes:
Most are dependent on well water, or town water supplies.
A
further concern is that this unstable, toxic, unconventional gas from
fracking is also more radioactive ,along with endocrine disruptors,
neurotoxins, VOC’s, etc. . . . and is being located near and under, live
electrical, direct transmission cables: yes, a leak has a much greater
chance of resulting in massive explosions.
Many
more homes are located in incineration zones broadening out from this
route. This is a massive export pipeline for private gas investor
profit. Compressor stations will exist in neighborhoods. These
communities will be destroyed: property values will plummet and public
safety and health are at great risk. Peoples lives will be ruined, and
the anxiety this has caused countless citizens has been ignored by Ms.
Shaheen. The organization that monitors pipeline safety was already
understaffed: it cut its national workforce by 9% this year. It is
cheaper, now, to pay fractions of interest on massive wealth, than to
spend money on safety, or human health, or to settle lawsuits when
people die, or property is destroyed, or drinking water is no longer
potable.
The DOE just
granted approval to Pieridae Goldboro in Nova, Scotia for LNG export
facilities: paperwork associated with this project states “pipeline and
fossil fuel companies” (in the U.S. and Canada) will make “eighteen
quadrillion dollars +” over a twenty year period.
Quite
a pot of private investor gold at the end of this particular pipeline
rainbow! and this is one of two okay’d so far. And it appears that not
only have extractors over produced, but that they are severely in debt
with banks that have lent billions at a very low% with massive tax
deferments, so taxpayers, property owners, and lowly serfs will be on
the hook for all of it, to be paid nothing for this destruction to
citizen lives, while once again, wealth hoarding is furthered to an
obscene, unparalleled level.
The
DOE has now granted export to both free trade and non free trade
nations for over 50 percent of U.S. produced gas. (Susan Sakmar, 2014)
And you can read Bill Powers 2013 book about how investor hyperbole has
given a distorted picture of recoverable versus existing gas
“resources”, and how well production declines sharply within a year on
all but a few wells. Subsequent to his writing, a number of shale plays
have experienced sharp declines.
And
more information is emerging from places around the country, despite
gag orders on families with children, and despite the medical
communities concerns about dangers to human health, and to precious
drinking water, never mind the suffering of people in their own homes as
this has surrounded their neighborhoods.
Senator
Ed Markey came out just this week to talk about the devastation exports
will cause to this region, and cited concern from U.S. manufacturing
firms about what exports (and limited resources siphoned off for export)
could do to jobs and manufacturing in the U.S., both in driving up
prices, but also depleting a resource for U.S. manufacturers. It seems
that “energy independence”, which we don’t have and now never will,
was never really the goal of massive fossil fuels expansion: more like
expecting the public to subsidize gas development so it can be siphoned
off to further enrich that small group of investors we hear so much
about whose bloated off shore accounts do nothing to advance this
nation: the ultimate welfare.
Shaheen
was booed at a event for Clinton, likely because of this, to which she
is reported to have gone all “public schoolmarm” about “respect” in
response. (NOT RESPONDING TO YOUR CONSTITUENTS is, oh, a bit more
“disrespectful” than being “booed”.)
Then
there is the candidate herself. Several voters from these towns have
approached Clinton at rallies with concerns about drinking water, safety
and abuse of eminent domain, and the massive methane and environmental
concerns of this: Clinton was reported to be curt, and dismissed this
as “a state concern”, getting away from them as soon as possible.
Folks
in the cross-hairs of this have learned that Clinton has promoted
FRACKING all over the world. And is either uncaring about the health
and public safety risks, or willfully ignorant in the face of investor
greed. She has lost credibility with many Democrats in this region
because of this. So it is glaringly evident that concern for the
voters/residents of this region in either party’s aspiring top
leadership is NIL:
With
the exception of Bernie Sanders, who grasps the full implications of
this, and is opposed to Fracking, and has stood with citizens.
In
conclusion, approximately twenty thousand+ ( a guesstimate, and likely
many more) voters and their neighbors in these Southern New Hampshire
communities have had a real education about both parties in this region.
. There are many pristine, unspoiled conservation areas, peoples
homes and entire towns that will be turned into Superfund sites and
incineration zones, (except that they are already exempt from Superfund
legislation thanks to Bush/Cheney and their sell out Dem cronies.)
Electricity ratepayers are, further, supposed to finance this atrocity.
Basically,
its pretty clear that our nation’s wealth is being siphoned off for
massive, concentrated private profit. While whole populations and
communities become sacrifice zones where votes don’t matter: its just
kabuki theater.
Increasingly
we have no representation to protect property, to defend our lives, or
to protect ourselves from harms embedded in our food or the water we
need to survive. Our lifetime investments are pawns for insider
political deals with investments, fossil fuels, and international
wealth. Specialized lawyers to adequately represent average folks are
beyond nearly all citizens’ means. Even class action is no longer
adjudicated, but forced into corporate friendly arbitration for
dwindling settlements, paid from a fraction of interest earned upon
interest.
FLINT citizens who are poor, and poor and of color, know very well of this betrayal for decades.
What
FLINT demonstrates (as do other abused communities in our nation and
around the world) is very far along the continuum toward genocide, when
laws are erased, and group think, cronyism, and corruption prevail.
Human sacrifice zones, with every possible freebie for the bloated and
connected. Our federal government closed its human rights office this
year. Wealth is becoming reason enough for any atrocity, and who knows,
perhaps even private amusement and competition.
Yes,
supreme court appointments: and they will certainly be focused on the
shuttlecock of social issues around which scapegoated groups win or
lose, while we are all losing so very much more in the face of this
deliberate distraction. Neither side is genuine in its postures: there
is a massive hidden agenda of mutual interest with the same hoarding
objective and only social issues to differentiate.
Consistency,
not faux concern when the cameras are rolling, counts a lot more in
these times. We are fed virtual word salad, tweaks and empty gestures.
We are fed “me, me, me” and persona management, emptiness or vague
claims, exaggerations and hate speech, name calling, bragging or other
manipulative forms of non communication and deceit. Our corporate media
no longer vets records or informs us: they are owned by the hoarders:
right now we have net neutrality, but only for voters who have the time
to spend researching facts, and for how long is this likely to be
allowed? By either party?
Bernie
Sanders is saying what is true, and standing with folks in Southern New
Hampshire. He has been a long time advocate and is a rare combination
of principle, dedication, integrity and tenacity, over decades, that
throws other contenders into sharp relief. He is telling us to stand up
for ourselves and offers to lead us in doing it: it will be a hard
fight, but its the only chance our children have.
THINK before you cast your vote
