I am not sure whose conduct is the more outrageous in the battle of State Representative Jesse White versus Range Resources.
The company has released email from Mr. White which makes clear the unholy alliance between the two in happier times, times which no longer exist, as White has switched alliance away from the company. Range Resources served as one of White's greatest supporters, even involving itself in fundraising for him up to its ears. In one piece of correspondence, White shamelessly asks if he can "stow away" on the company's corporate jet on a trip to the Super Bowl, a request which he states was made in jest now that it has become public.
At the height of White and Range Resources being bosom buddies, I wonder which individual would be more apt to receive a return call from him, someone from Range Resources or "Joe Q. Citizen," a nobody that contacted White's office to request some type of constituent service.
White states, apparently in his defense, that the company has released the email exchanges in order to embarrass him. Well, yes, of course, and it is succeeding, but it is also serving to embarrass itself. It takes two to tango.
A reasonable and prudent person would conclude that the unholy alliance between a state legislator and a company and big contributor which is dependent on his votes in order to thrive, is business as usual in Harrisburg, government for sale to the highest bidder, a wink and a nod, an unspoken, unwritten quid pro quo.
Anyone who thought that then-Attorney General Tom Corbett was able to weed out all of the crooks and end the unethical behavior that has permeated the body which determines how we live our lives every day, is sadly mistaken as we see with abundant clarity in this sordid affair. We continue to have the finest government money can buy. The citizens be damned!
http://www.mcall.com/news/nationworld/pennsylvania/mc-pa-shale-driller-lawmaker-email-20121114,0,23675.story
Ben, please see previous posts concerning chromium and one of the many issues in my area. I have no talking points on this issue. Ben, the first article is a slam piece by a biased source. The second hyperlinks "Jesse White" to a black senator. Not the same guy. They do not even know who they are talking about. Once again there is only paraphrasing and two brief quotes. Where are the actual emails? I am not here to fight. The real issue of DEP water testing is one that I follow as drilling is destroying to property value of homes. I also enjoy Oren's blogs, and I often agree. That is all. I have things to do today. Thanks Oren for an interesting blog as always! :)
http://triblive.com/news/allegheny/2950709-74/range-emails-company-industry-drilling-pitzarella-cecil-changed-gas-lawmakers#axzz2DAsJlBlN As for bias, you correctly note the one link goes to a proindustry site. Fair enough. But are the facts correct? I don't care about the tone. My pioint is that if the facts aren'tcorrect, White owes everyone an explanation or a correction or something that backs up his accusations he keeps making. He makes some wild allegation, then waits for the industry repsonse which is usally them saying "baloney", then he pretends they conjured up an attack on him. He doesn't appear to be all the bright. The problem with people of his low intelligence is that they can still have an effect on other people and in this case it's jobs. What politician in his right mind would go out of his way to attack a company because of a personal issue then claim he supports what they do? Good luck on your schooling. Hope you can find a job when you're done.
This is not "White's argument." This is an argument, as you correctly pointed out, that has been going on for years and has been made by 100s of people. Are there some people that would seek to sue a drilling company without real cause? Absolutely. There is no doubt in my mind that these people exist. There are also hundreds upon hundreds (if not thousands but I will low ball it) that are losing what little property value that they had and that have physical evidence of their water being unusable after drilling took place. Always very poor people that could not have afforded baseline testing so they are ignored and forced to sacrifice their homes and credit (for selling well under what they mortgaged the home for) without being compensated.
I recommend that you read the link that White posted above that details his thought process and involvement with Range because you seem to be confused on my position on drilling as well as White's. As I told Oren above, my contribution to this thread has run its course, but I encourage you to continue reading and start asking questions of everyone.
And Erin, you're obviously not a neutral party in this. I call BS on "hundreds" of people losing their property because of drilling. You haven't offered one shred of evidence. If something bad happened two and a half years ago, I feel bad but I'm guessing the company had to fix it, right? As proud American also points out, what does that have to do with Range or even the DEP? Here's a quote I just pulled from the PA American Water page (you know, the company that provides drinking water...): "Chromium is an odorless and tasteless metallic element. It is found naturally in rocks, plants, and soil and also found in humans and animals. There are two common forms of chromium: Chromium 3-is an essential human dietary element found in vegetables, meats, fruits, grains and yeast. Chromium 3 can be found in most multi-vitamins. Chromium 6 (also known as hexavalent chromium) can be generated from natural deposits of chromium in soils as well as produced by industrial processes such as steel manufacturing and pulp mills."
For all questions and comments directed towards me, please see previous posts. For all snide comments and implications that I am some sort of covert White agent (I am not even a constituent), please keep them to yourself or at least do not expect any further response. Have a lovely holiday everyone.
So back up your assertions with proof, the ones about property values all over the state. Ask your hero White to back up his claims with proof. See, if people like you would actually offer evidence instead of evasion you might even pull people like me to your side.
1. The proof of lost property value due to drilling, and the similarity in contested DEP testing, is in the video and the article about people in my county. One woman's home was assessed to be worth $15,000. She didn't buy it for 15,000, so the property lost value. Read the article/watch the video for more info. 2. I never said hundreds in PA. I said hundreds and probably thousands in accumulation over the past ten years nationally...never did I say "state-wide." 3. It is not "White's crusade" that I rally behind. People have been contesting the DEP's testing process (especially in the instance of Chromium 6) for years! I showed you a 2010 article explaining this, and then I showed you a recent article having to do with the DEP's testing process and specifically the White situation in which Marcellus Shale just conveniently ignores that Chromium is listed as a metal that _should_ be tested for during baseline testing, but is _not_ tested for according to the code applied by DEP testers that White talks about in a November 7th Patch blog article. The lack of reading comprehension is kind of blowing my mind right now. I don't want you to be quiet. I want you to PLEASE SEE PREVIOUS COMMENT as the previous comments answer _all_ of your questions. For further evidence feel free to do your own research. Mind blown...or something. ;)
1. 1:00, 11-24 "...people in my area (not White's district but near) are losing their property values, clean water and health since drliing began..."..."After seeing people in my county lose everytyhing bc local drilling reduced their property value to nothing..." (note the words "my area", "property values" and "my county"). 2. 1:33, 11-24: "People in my county lost their proprety values to local drilling...neither the government nor the drilling company are reimbursing these people for their lost property value". (Note the words "county" and "property value") 3:12 11-24: "...as people all over the state are losing their homes and wealth without reimbursement from the govt and/or gas companies?" (note the words "state" and "losing their homes") 4. 12:08, 11-25: "...drilling is destroying to property value of homes" 5. 4:26 11-25: "There are also hundreds upon hundreds (if not thousands but I will low ball it) that are losing what little property value that they had and that have physical evidence of their water being unsuable after drilling took place." (note the words "hundreds" and "thousands"). Wow, mind blown or something...or maybe just your credibility.
As Ben has shown you, the majority of the time I was speaking about the people in my area/state since we were discussing statewide DEP testing regulations. The comment about nationwide losses of property value by the hundreds was one comment that does not refer to the state specifically but attempts to expand your viewpoint nationwide to the similarities between issues in testing and the exclusion of particular metals such as chromium. Ben, you are right. The reading comprehension going on on this thread has once again blown mind. Seeing as how you two have no questions about anything that I have posted but have just given into straight up delusions now, I am going to go ahead and not follow this thread anymore. If I am not losing brain cells for participating in this garbage, I am most certainly losing valuable time. (The "or something" was a kind of inside joke not meant for you guys, so I would not really dwell on it all that much...or dwell...I won't be watching).
Wow!!! Erin, it is time to get off campus and away from academia for awhile. The list of properties in the region like this is lengthy, and has zero to with drilling. Many home are "underwater" in regions that have no drilling. The assertion of "many property values decreasing," or similar words, is true in lots of locations. Also, there are many properties that are increasing in value. And, many of them are in areas with drilling -- the availability of the natural resource has made many property values skyrocket. The "loosing homes" argument goes no place either. You have failed to mention all those who have been able to keep their homes because of lease money, new employment, and new business opportunities that were not there before the recent upsurge in MS drilling. Many of your comments suggest that the technologies being used are new. Hydraulic techniques have been used for 50-60 years. Only recently have they been more widely used. Horizontal drilling gave the techniques a much greater value. So, please stop with the "this is new" argument. Thanks again for posting, despite all your promises of "last one." We like to hear what the kids on the college campus are thinking.
Quoting, "... all you have to do is call my office at 724-746-3677. Amazingly, no one has chosen to take me up on this offer. ...." Quoting, " .. all you have to do is call my office at 724-746-3677. ...." We have two invitations. Most threads only have one invite. We are plussed. Sorry, no count on admonition of anonymous posters. I'm sure there some, like all other similar threads.