Fracturing, continued

To the editor:

Mr. LiGreci’s letter with regard to fracking in your September 25 issue is an over-simplification of the issues. I am not an environmentalist. I am a concerned citizen looking for facts. An Internet search of the word “fracturing” delivers some interesting information.

Apparently, these issues have been dogging the citizens of Colorado for years. A senior environmental engineer for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sought protection under the whistleblower act for questioning the results of a fracking report in 2004. The DEC says that no blast or explosion is created by the process. A Colorado citizen whose house well was 100 yards from four fracking wells said, “Our well blew up like a geyser in Yellowstone.”

Mr. LiGreci contends that there is no proof that the process is unsafe. An ER nurse in Colorado was tending to an energy company employee involved in a fracturing fluid spill. A few days later, her skin turned yellow. She began vomiting and retaining fluid. She was admitted to the ICU with a swollen liver, erratic blood counts and lungs filling with fluid. The diagnosis: chemical poisoning.

With so much contradictory information to sift through, isn’t it our communal responsibility to move forward at a snail’s pace? Landowners do, indeed, have the right to make money off their land. But they should choose to do so with acknowledgment of the potential risks.

Undemocratic Democrats

To the editor:

This is an open letter to Colleen Cunningham, chair of the Bethel Democratic Committee. I join many voters in my disgust with the unethical and self-serving actions of Democratic officials. Why hold a caucus if the majority of the Democratic Committee turns around to actively support and endorse another candidate than the one elected?

Ted Yeomans is a Bethel Democratic committee member; this conflict of interest should require his resignation. Vicky Simpson carried the petition for Yeoman’s separate candidacy. While technically Sturm and Abramson, members of the Bethel Democratic Committee did not “carry” the petition for Yeoman, their wives did. Lyndon Lilley, another Bethel Democratic Committee member, publicly stated his support for Ted Yeoman.

This behavior of Democratic officials demeans the vote of those who turned out to participate in the Democratic caucus, and denigrates the Democratic Party. Officials of the Democratic Party do not have the right to override the decision of the caucus. If they wish to pursue a separate agenda than the one decided by vote, then they should resign.

Battered citizen syndrome

To the editor:

The word “battered” means subjected to emotional or physical assault. It is also synonymous with worn out, having seen better days and weather beaten.

As someone who was in an abusive relationship years ago, I do not write this lightly. I write this because my country is being battered, and I can no longer stand by silently.

As in most unhealthy relationships, fear is the central emotion. It is where most decisions are made, most choices confronted, and some, if not many, foundations are built. It is not easy ridding one’s self of fear.

Fear is running rampant these days. We are fearful that we will lose our homes to foreclosure, our children to war, our money to bankruptcy and our country to a vicious terrorist attack.

Fear is testing us. It walks the aisles at the supermarket. It pulls up to the gas pump with us. It stands with us on line at the bank. How much will it cost to heat our homes? Will I keep my job? Will I be able to provide for my kids? What sort of holidays will it be for us? For our nation?

We have lived with fear and doubt and worry and sadness for the past eight years. But now is time for hope to take up residence in our hearts and souls. As in:

I hope the next four years are filled with prosperity and peace.

I hope my grandchild will have a bright, happy and healthy future.

I hope my rights as a woman are preserved.

I hope we remain environmentally, economically, and socially responsible.

I hope we remain tolerant of those who may be different from us.

I am voting for Barack Obama and Joe Biden because I cannot sit back one more day watching the abuse continue.

McCain reaching across the aisle?

To the editor:

In the Presidential debate last Friday, John McCain continued to boast that he has a record of reaching across the aisle to work with Democrats. Yet at the same debate, he said Barack Obama is too far to the left for him to reach across the aisle. If he can’t work with a fellow American, how is he ever going to work with other world leaders?

The day before the debate, John McCain flew to Washington to help “solve” the economic crisis. There was no evidence that he reached across the aisle to any Democrats. The only group McCain tried to reach was the Republicans.

Also at the Presidential debate, John McCain proposed a new league of Democratic nations to promote shared values and peace around the world, because nations like Russia are stumbling blocks at the United Nations. That does not sound like “reaching across the aisle.” Anybody can work with friends. That’s easy. We need a leader who is willing not only to stand up to our enemies, but work with them to keep the peace. Barack Obama is not afraid of talking to our enemies. The Bush administration ignored Iran and North Korea for eight years. Now John McCain wants four more years of not talking with them.

Which McCain is it this week?

To the editor:

Last week, while Wall Street was having a meltdown, John McCain said the fundamentals of our economy are strong. In economic terms, “fundamentals” means our financial institutions, GDP, productivity, employment rate and the like. Someone should educate McCain that in macroeconomics “fundamentals” is not a measure of American workers.

Phil Gramm, McCain’s former economic adviser, who shaped McCain’s economic policies, added a 262-page amendment to the December 15, 2000 appropriations bill hours before Congress was to leave for Christmas recess. This amendment made it impossible for federal agencies to regulate the financial derivatives that make up risky mortgage-backed securities. That is the reason why we taxpayers are paying for hundreds of billions in bailouts.

John McCain strongly believes in deregulation and has pushed legislation for the past 20 years to deregulate the market. This week, John McCain believes in regulating Wall Street.

Will the real John McCain please stand up?

A poor choice

To the editor:

I need to respond to the “Palin Victimized” letter in the September 11 issue.

This discussion goes well beyond liberals and conservatives, left and right, or political parties. It goes right to the core of common sense, love of country and the character of our nation and its leaders.

John McCain, with his choice of this running mate, has victimized all of us. In the brief time since she’s become a national figure, Governor Palin has shown herself to be a repetitive liar. Her governing and political dispositions are based on religious zealotry and some kooky “extra-biblical” teachings of her pastor. Check out her Wasilla church speech on YouTube.

Her speeches and public appearances are all theatrically crafted so as to provoke gut-emotional responses from her audiences rather than reactions based on facts, knowledge, sound thinking and experience. Anecdotes abound of her shallowness and vindictiveness while a mayor and governor in Alaska.

She is refusing to cooperate with an investigation by Alaska’s legislature (an inquiry approved by a Republican majority) into allegations of abuse of power started well before she had any inkling of her vice-presidential candidacy. She has apparently instructed pertinent witnesses, including her husband, Todd, not to comply with subpoenas issued in connection with the investigation—and they haven’t. I wonder what would happen to one of us ordinary people who decided to simply ignore a subpoena.

So what does this say about “this honorable woman?” Is this “a fresh perspective that has been missing from our political candidates for a long time?” Folks, this looks to be a cesspool of Sarah Palin’s own creation.

It strains credulity that McCain and his people missed Palin’s critical shortcomings in their vetting process. If they didn’t, it’s unforgivable. Either way, shame on him for such a poor choice.

Bob Wasserman

Milanville, PA

Reckless endangerment

To the editor:

No other action has demonstrated more clearly McCain’s complete disregard for our country and its wellbeing than his reckless choice for running mate, Sarah Palin. Take the time to research her record as a mayor and governor in Alaska and you will find a gutsy, ill-informed opportunist, intolerant of ideas other than her own, whose cheerleader-type popularity masks her focused intent to push through her own agenda no matter the cost. Her well-documented stand against birth control, sex education, and pro-choice options could cause a revisitation to the dark ages.

Add to her stand against protecting the environment, developing alternate energy and the separation of church and state the cause of her wanting to ban books at the library. Only the outcry of residents prevented her from firing the librarian who refused to ban them. As a 79-year-old lifelong Republican, who has not always voted so, I am deeply disturbed by the possibility of Palin becoming Vice President and therefore dangerously close to leading our country. McCain rashly chose Palin with only his own political agenda in mind. To me, it questions his very ability to think clearly and intelligently. I only hope our citizens can see through his deceptive mask of “Country First.”